


Mice and Men...

by BlackJade23



Series: Biker Mice From Mars Alternate Dimension [1]
Category: Biker Mice From Mars
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 20:34:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18105980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackJade23/pseuds/BlackJade23
Summary: This is the journey of a young woman named Jade. Her trials and triumphs are wrapped around the lives of several Martian Mice. How will her life unfold and how will the results change the Biker Mice forever?This story takes place before the 1990’s television show. Inspired by the works of KelaAshes and the Original Biker Scholar. This story is inspired by my original female character and her insertion into this fandom. Things will change and the bros will have to face new challenges to keep their new clan safe.





	1. The Crash

          The wreckage was still smoking as a lone father walked among the debris, screaming out the name of his daughter. Frantic hands would claw through odd piles, searching for some sign of life. Dozens of the planet’s inhabitants ran forward offering assistance in whatever way they could. The father paused and watched as the men lifted broken beams, exposing access to the main ship. His eyes widened as realization hit hard; this was the main hall to his daughter’s room. Panic set in as he rushed to the opening. A golden furred woman joined him with a medical bag in tow. The hall was lit by a blinking light, just enough to guide both towards a cracked door. Hands worked together, removing the broken pieces. The father fell to his knees when he saw what was left of the room; hope fled of finding his daughter alive.

          Golden fur pushed past the hopeless father. As a medic, it was her duty to not give up. A few questions gave her the information she needed; his daughter was five years old and this was her room. A quick survey of the area and she found a metal table attached to the far wall. Within minutes the rubble was removed and the young girl was found. She found a great hiding place but not in time. The yound girl’s legs were trapped under another pile of rubble. The medic yelled back at the father, but his blank stare let her know that he was mentally checked out.

          Two grey furred men ran towards the medic and offered assistance in removing the wreckage off the girl. The medic evaluated the strange, fur-less youngster and was thanking the goddess that her biology was similar to her own race. From her portable med unit, the medic discovered a fracture towards the bottom of her spine. She barked out an order for a stretcher to be brought in. With time and slow movements, the girl was strapped tight and removed. The field Doctor was in route with all the information gathered. The father watched as his daughter was carried past him in silence. Feeling his pain, as she was a mother herself, the medic knelt beside him.

          “She is being transferred to the field hospital now. Her biology is the same, so we know how to treat her. You really should be there when she comes to. She needs her father.”  
          “Yes she does…” his answer was hushed as he talked to himself. As he looked up at the woman with the golden fur, his smile slowly appeared. “Martian right?”  
          “Yes. My name is Star.”  
          “Jack. My daughter is Jade. I’m glad we landed on Mars. Can you… take me to this hospital?” His voice was uneven, distant now.  
          “Of course, Jack.” She placed a hand under his elbow as he slowly stood. The two make their way out of the ship. Star noticed that Jack was still in shock. First he lost his ship, crashed on another planet and then almost lost his daughter. “So you know about Martians huh? We don’t do much space travel these days.”  
          “Yes…”. Jack refocused on the woman, straining to remember her name. “Met some soldiers way back. Been helping out with supplies when I can.” They emerged from the wreckage, the Martian sky turning a darker shade as night fell. An ATV was idling nearby waiting to deliver the last two. Both boarded and were on their way.  
          “I’m a field medic. I heard you screaming and came running. I know the sound of a parent in stress…”. Star brought her bag against her chest, double checking the contents within. Every so often she would glance over at Jack, watching the color return to his fur-less face, his eyes dilating back to normal.  
          “Thank you. I… I couldn’t think anymore. Too much at once. But you…” Jack raised his eyes to meet her brown ones “you knew exactly what to do. Thank you Star.”  
          “That’s my job! You’re welcome.” Star’s eyes beamed with pride. The ATV pulled up to the hospital and they both departed.

          Star had decided to stay with Jack until he got to see his daughter. Jade was in surgery to see if they could prevent paralysis. Jack understood this but once again Star saw the panic start to build. She had a feeling it was just him and Jade; she could relate. For five years it had just been her and her son. Excusing herself, Star left in a hurry to retrieve her son so they could all wait together. Since starting this job, only a few people would agree to watch her son and only for the exact time needed. No one cared too much for his father or how he was conceived. Since it was her decision to keep her child, she let no one else have a say.

          Jack settled into a nearby couch and rested his eyes. A nightmare jerked him awake. A child’s laughter echoed nearby. He unsteadily got up, followed the laughter, thinking only of his daughter. Around the corner he saw a small brown Martian mouse giggling as his mom tickled his sides. Star… Jack remembered hearing her mention a son.  
          “Sorry Jack. We didn’t want to wake you.” Star smiled warmly at him. Her son hid behind her legs.  
          “No, its alright. I thought it was Jade.”  
          “Have you heard anything?”  
          “Still in surgery. Everything is alright so far… I think…” Jack rubbed his eyes, feeling tired again.  
          “Mommy?” Star’s little boy peeked out behind her leg, tail still wrapped tightly around her ankle. “It this her daddy?”  
          “Yes hun. This is Jack. His daughter, Jade, is in surgery right now. We’re going to keep him company.”

          For the next hour, Jack talked to the boy about space and his travels to distant planets. The boy was amazed that Jack had not encountered another mouse-like race. He also loved learning about the planets near Mars; Jupiter and it’s rabbit-like race of sprinters, Venus and it’s ancient water dwelling race of philosophers, and Earth which held a species that looked like Jack but didn’t travel into space. Every story was taken in and processed by the kid. Eager eyes just like Jade’s. Intelligent questions. Jack started to tear up. The kid calmly put a hand on Jack’s bare shoulder.  
          “You’re sad. I feel it Mr Jack.” Shocked by his formal words, Jack chuckled and messed up the kid’s brown hair.  
          “I’m alright. You just remind me of my own curious daughter.”  
          “You have such good thoughts of her…” it was a statement, not a question. Jack’s eyes widened as he realized something else the two shared.  
          “Can you read minds?” Jack leaned forward holding his smile in place. He knew the Martian race had mental capabilities beyond his own race, but never thought they could read minds.  
          “Feelings. When I touch people, Mr Jack.”  
          “Well, well, well…” Jack sat back and laughed. Star calmly walked over giving him a confusing look. “Star… your son is so much like her. Jade… she takes after her mother’s race. She can sense emotions through touch as well. It’s been tough for her.”  
          “Wow… what are the odds of that? My boy’s abilities are not unknown to our race. Abilities like his are highly sought after.” Star’s pride shown bright. Her son, however, looked away in anger.  
          “But not me…” the boy took off in a run down the hall, leaving the adults behind. Soon his mother would have to tell Jack all about his father. Hatred bubbled along the surface as he clenched his hands. Everyone always looked at him different. Most knew his father, knew what he did. He had to live knowing how much he looked like his father. Those who didn’t know would soon look at him in disgust and pity. He did not want to see that in Jack. Not him.

         His anger was interrupted by a burst of unknown fear and panic coming from down the hall. He had never felt such strong emotions without coming into physical contact with someone. Curious, he followed it to a recovery room and hid behind the curtains. A Doctor pushed past a nurse who was checking off random numbers on the surrounding screens. Both turned to leave as an emergency code went off behind him. The boy slowly walked towards the bed. The fear increased. A fur-less hand fell to the side of the bed and he instantly reached out to touch it. The skin was warm and grabbed onto his, fingers entwining. He received a jolt from the sudden contact; his mind was filling with foreign emotions and nightmares. He did his best to quell the storm, offering support and comfort. The nightmares were of being trapped and unable to move; a strong fear of being alone forever. Instinct kicked in as he jumped up on the bed, moving behind the young girl shivering in the blankets. He knew this was Jade. He knew she felt alone. He knew this one action calmed her shivers and destroyed her nightmares. She wasn’t awake yet. He wrapped his arm around her torso and his tail automatically wrapped around her ankle. Soon sleep found both of them.

          A worried Star rushed into the room with Jack not long after. Jack’s mouth dropped open as Star kept him away. She pointed to the nearby heart monitor and whispered how calm Jade was. They decided to leave the two as they were. Star was proud of her son for providing such care. Jack was relieved his daughter was alive. The two brought in chairs and spent the rest of the night taking turns sleeping.

          The next morning brought on more doctor visits, nurses shaking heads in disapproval and Star yelling to leave the youngsters alone. Jack was amazed at the accusations being thrown around in front of the very child they were accusing. The young boy had done nothing but provide his daughter with comfort so he decided to tell them this. With Jack raising his voice, all talks stopped and no more was mentioned. Jack could see that the young mouse had burred his face beneath Jade’s hair during the heated arguments.  
          “You do whatever comes naturally, son. I’ve got your back.” Jack messed up the kid’s hair again and returned to rest his eyes. The boy held back tears when Jade shifted her weight.  
          “You ok?” Her voice was scratchy. Jack bolted over to the bed with Star.  
          “Jade? Honey? Are you alright?” Jack pushed back her hair and kissed her on the forehead. A weak smile formed.  
          “Daddy? I’m ok. Is he?” Her eyes had opened a little as her head shifted backwards toward the young mouse.  
          “He’s alright. I guess he’s a bit surprised that I stood up for him.” Jack said with a wink.  
          “Oh. My dad will protect you, Throttle.” Jade slipped back into a nap as Jack stared at the boy. He never asked what his name was. Strange.  
          “Throttle huh? Good name.”  
          “Thanks. You… you called me son. Did… did you…” Throttle’s voice was small and hidden behind Jade’s dark hair.  
          “Yeah, I did. And I did. You provided my baby comfort and I’ll always remember that. I don’t give two shakes of a rat’s tail, pardon my language, who your daddy was. He ain’t that anymore. And he ain’t here. You did good.” Throttle lifted his head as Jack spoke. His eyes watered as Jack leaned forward to give him a soft kiss on the forehead as well.  
          “Jack…” Star came up behind him, hugging him from behind. He understood now how important his words were to both of them. Jack slightly blushed (something he hadn’t done for years now) as he turned around to hold her properly. “She has a long recovery ahead Jack. You two shouldn’t be traveling. Why don’t you guys stay with us? Throttle seems very protective of her, he might be able to help.”  
          “Sounds like a great idea.” Jack smiled warmly. “I don’t want to impose… I’ll get a small job to help pay for our expenses while staying with you. No arguments about this Star.” She chuckled while pulling away.  
          “Alright. But you don’t get to argue with my methods either.”  
          “Deal.”  
          “Mom?” Throttle whispered “Will she be able to walk again? She’s scared of what the doctors said.” That got Jack’s attention.  
         “What? I didn’t hear anything.”  
         “Yes…I’m surprised they didn’t say anything to you.” Star took in a deep breath and walked closer to the bed. She could see Jade’s eyes had squeezed shut. She was awake but Throttle voiced her concerns. Were they reading each other’s minds? “One Doctor I talked to said that the fracture is healed but there is a long recovery ahead… she needs to relearn how to walk. If she can get up and moving she will be able to walk again. But… if we can’t get her up and at least trying by tomorrow… well, her chances of a full recovery lower.” Star looked up at Jack and saw him pacing again. His eyes were distant.  
        “I’ll get her up mom.” Throttle’s voice was strong. Star could not be more proud of the young man he was becoming.  
         “Thank you honey. But we need Jade on board too. Jade?” Star turned her attention to the young girl. Her eyes opened slowly, large green ones with a swirl of gold. Star couldn’t help but smile.  
          “I… I promise. I can get up. I want to walk again.” Just as quickly, her head turned back into the pillow as Throttle rubbed her back. Star knew this was going to be tough. Looking back at Jack let her know that she had basically adopted another family into hers. He couldn’t handle this. Star took another breath and straightened up.  
          “Alright. I’m going to get the staff to sign her out and we need to get home asap. Throttle, when we get there, you need to pull the old beds out with the blankets. Place them on the ground in the back room. Then you’ll need to be off to the market to pick up more food for us.” Throttle jumped off the bed.  
          “Yes mom.”  
         “Jack…” Star walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Jack. I need to here with me right now. Go find that job. We will need money for more food. I’ll take care of Jade. You take care of us.”  
         “Yes ma’am. I’ll go now.” Star nodded as she headed out the door to yell at the nurses again.

  
          The home was small by Martian standards; two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a restroom and a main living area. Throttle ran inside to set up another bed at the bottom of his, full of blankets and pillows. Jade was carried in and set gently down on the soft cushion. Throttle hurried around the house anticipating the needs of his mother before she could ask. Jack had come in a couple hours later with a first day’s salary which Throttle turned into a full meal by the end of the night. Star knew Jade was slipping into a depression but had no idea how to get her out. Jack was not making steps to help either. With a sigh, Star went to Throttle.  
          “Honey, can you see how we can help Jade? She’s not doing well.”  
          “Yeah, I know. She’s not use to needing help. She takes care of her dad a lot. He’s not use to raising a kid. She told me that she’s scared. She wants to just sleep.”  
          “Not good.” Star grumbled as she walked out to the garage. Working on the family bike always helped clear her mind. Throttle followed, handing her towels and tools as she drained the oil and changed the fluids. At the end, she started it up, sending a roar throughout the house.  
          “That got her up…” Throttle mumbled with a smile. Star whipped her head towards the back door. Jade had managed to get herself halfway out of the room, her face staring at the bike through the open garage door. Star walked towards her, picking her up and setting her down on the steps with Throttle nearby to support her.  
          “What’s that?” Jade asked silently.  
          “This is a family bike. A motorcycle passed down through generations of my family. My mother and grandmother rode her. She’s the best bike. Artificial Intelligence and coded to out unique DNA structure. She’ll be handed down to Throttle once he’s big enough to ride.” Throttle smiled proudly.  
          “My dad had a ship with artificial intelligence. He taught me a lot about different cultures. He was teaching me about math and science when dad found out. I guess the ship wasn’t designed to do that and dad got paranoid. He had him shut off. Kinda.” Jade looked away.  
          “Kinda?” Star inquired.  
          “She means she saved him.” Throttle answered matter-of-factly.  
          “Shhhhhh. Dad will kill me if he finds out.” Jade faced Throttle, her small finger pointed at him.  
          “What? Your dad’s gone right now. He can’t hear.”  
          “You have no idea… Dad hears everything. I swear!”  
          “We won’t tell. Besides, we’re not afraid of AI like your dad.”  
          “Geesh… I know right? He always turns everything into a possible war…”Jade giggles while Throttle shakes his head. Star stares at the two, acting as if they had always been around each other. Their arguments, their expressions, everything felt as if they were twins separated at birth. Star continues on the maintenance while the two kids talk about everything from parents to politics.  
          “Star? Can I ride her one day?” Jade’s voice was small. Star walked over to the girl and asked for her hand. With a sharp pin, Star poked her finger for a blood draw. Walking over to the bike, she pressed the terminal access and placed the pin inside the port. The bike revved on it’s own, signaling to the rider that the sample had been processed. A string of ancient Martian was spoken by Star and the bike rested. She turned to face Jade.  
          “Yes you can. But… you need to walk.” Jade smiled back at her.

          The Martian sun rose high in the sky by the fourth day, shinning on two young children as one supported the other while walking. The two could be heard laughing at each other’s jokes and whispering about others who stared for too long. Throttle felt strong and sure of himself when he was around her. People no longer stared at him, rolling their eyes while backing their children away from him. His thoughts turned dark. Jade stopped walking.  
          “What?” Throttle looked at her.  
          “You.”  
          “Me?”  
          “Yeah. You. Stop that. Who cares what they think. They don’t know you! Let them talk. You’ll prove them wrong. Besides, they’re talking about me more.” Jade winked as they both giggled. This was how the last three days went. Throttle helped Jade out in walking around the small street while others looked on with judging eyes. Whenever Throttle’s thoughts went too dark, Jade would snap him out of it. Whenever Jade’s thoughts fell into despair, Throttle made sure to get her laughing or talking about the bike. The two were attached at the hip. Turned out that they were not the only ones.  
          “Jade! Throttle! Time to come home!” Star smiled to herself as the two turned around to walk back to the house. In these past few days, she had seen her little boy become confident and protective. Star wished it could be like this forever. A blush crossed her face when she realized that there was another reason behind that wish.  
          Jack walked in the door first, giving Star a small hug and placing the food on the counter. He went to work cutting and carving the meal while Star set the table. The kids came through the door and sat down, Throttle running around to help his mom get the last of the items. Star walked back to Jack with a smile, her tail rubbing up the back of his leg as she walks past him. Jack chuckled low and winked. The flirting had increased as of late. Star was feeling more comfortable around him and found his presence comforting. The kids noticed too; always turning away to giggle at their parents. Star could not help how she was feeling lately. Since Throttle had been born, no man would come around her to flirt, no clan would want her. She was kicked out of her own clan, the only family in this area like that. Jack didn’t care about any of it. He was flirting back and enjoying having a meaningful role in this little made up family. As Jack glanced over at the kids, he couldn’t find a single reason why this could not work. Star smiled up at him, inviting him to come and eat; a simple thing that meant much more to Jack then he could ever tell her.  
          “Star… I’ve been thinking… about this…” he waved his hand around at the table with a smile. Jade elbowed Throttle and they both started eating faster. Jack shook his head. “Jade… you don’t have to do that…”  
          “Yes sir… but I know you… I know this conversation…”  
          “You have no idea so stop it.” Jack tried to keep from smiling; it had been a while since Jade teased him like this.  
          “I’m hungry. That’s all…” Jade said in between mouthfuls as Throttle kept the pace with her.  
          “Sure… Just a small conversation, that’s all…”  
          “Sure, sure…”. Jade took another bite and Throttle helped her up. “Done… Bye…” Jack didn’t stop them as Star giggled.  
          “That girl… Star, I wanted to talk about staying a bit longer.”  
          “I know… Jade told me you had been thinking of this for the last couple of days and that you might mess it up.” Star winked and scooted her chair closer to him. Jack’s face turned red.  
          “That’s my girl…” he mumbled under his breath. “I haven’t been in one place for too long since Jade’s mother died in birth. Never really found anywhere I would want to settle down. It’s been a lonely road for us so far and I think we need a change. I’ve never seen her so happy, so engaged. She has other kids to interact with. She has a woman to talk to… all these things I haven’t been able to provide. I guess… Well, what I’m saying… is that I want to stay a bit longer… I mean if you’re still alright with all this… and… maybe…”. He had turned to get a better look at Star when she leaned forward and kissed him. His breath caught in his chest as he allowed the kiss to grow. Star was so different from the other girls he had been with since the death of Jade’s mom. Jack was a breath of fresh air for Star, who had been spending her days feeling like she was being punished for being raped. The two lost themselves for a while as the kids giggled from down the hall.  
          “This doesn’t make us siblings now right?” Throttle whispered in disgust while Jade laughed.  
          “Not according to my dad’s culture. Even children he has with another mom are not considered related to me.” Jade stared at Throttle for a minute. “Why? You don’t want me?” Jade fake pouted.  
          “Not like that…” he said under his breath. Jade stared at him and then punched him on the arm. “Ouch…. I just worry for mom. She’s never been like this before… so… so…”  
          “In love?” Jade winked as Throttle faked throwing up.

          Days turned into months as Jade grew strong enough to race Throttle around the village. Star and Jack become inseparable, spending their evenings sitting close and talking of their past. The villagers all talked behind their backs about how un-clan-like her behavior was by bringing in an outsider. Jack had it out with the neighbor that brought that one up. He had met several Martians in his life and none were as closed off as this village. Jack brought up moving to another area and Star had agreed. Her life was starting to make sense now. A strong man by her side, two children who obviously loved each other; a clan in the making. She silently wondered if Jack would give her his clan name.  
          Jack left the room to chase Jade out of the garage when a communications device went off. Star knew it to be his and called after the two, holding the device up. Jade’s face dropped as she ran off into the back yard. Jack stared at the device and slowly walked over to answer it in another language. He kissed Star on the cheek and walked inside. Star stared off in the direction Jade went as Throttle asked which way.  
          “What is going on?” Star asked Throttle as he took off in the direction Jade ran.  
          “I’m not sure, but Jade is really sad… like end of the world sad…”. Throttle was gone and Star knew the dream was lost.

          Jade was crying in an abandoned shrine a couple of miles away from their house. Throttle sighed as he walked in, dropped down and placed arms around her. Feelings of betrayal and anger coursed through her. They were leaving soon. Jade had seen this happen before. Throttle held her tighter trying to say words of comfort. It didn’t matter.  
          “He always answers her…” Jade finally said.  
          “Her?”  
          “His daughter from another woman. Maisy. He didn’t know about her birth and her mom was a nut. Now she calls him when she needs help. Bad help. She’s a bad person, Throttle. She hates me so he never takes me. I’m left in the ship. His first mate watches me… sometimes. That’s why I stole the AI.” Jade was talking fast. Throttle knew it was bad from the way she kept gulping for air to speak more. She was near hysterics.  
          “But you don’t have a ship anymore… You guys crashed that months ago… almost a year now.” Throttle tried to find a way around all this.  
          “He has more ships… always had.”  
          “Then why would he leave mom?” Throttle felt broken.  
          “He doesn’t want to… believe me. But he will. Maisy is someone he never says no to. Not for anything…”. Jade started to talk slower, quieter and was defeated. There would be no discussion. She knew her dad would pack them up and leave, only returning when Maisy was ‘safe’.  
          “Then he can leave you.”  
          “He won’t. He would rather have me alone on his ship then anywhere else. Don’t get it…”. Jade turned in Throttle’s arms and stared up at the statue. “Who is that?” She wanted to change the topic, if only for a little.  
          “That is our goddess… of love and family…”. Throttle shook his head at the irony. “She is there for us when we need to strengthen…” a thought went through his head and Jade sat up straight, looking into his eyes. “Make a promise with me.”  
          “What?”  
          “Just repeat after me… trust me…” Throttle stared into her eyes until she nodded. Jade had no idea what he was saying, it was all in Martian after that, but she repeated every phrase making sure to match his pitch and tone. When the words were said, she felt a warmth come over her. It was a feeling of safety, of being sure that she would see him again. In the small shrine, she felt like she was home. Jade looked to Throttle and knew he was the definition. His red eyes softened as he leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the lips. His fur tickled her mouth and they ended up giggling.  
          “You kissed me!!! Silly boy…”. Jade giggled again while Throttle blushed.  
          “It is customary to end it like that… Trust me, I totally didn’t want to kiss you. Yuck…” Jade was not convinced with Throttle’s tone. She forgot soon enough when she heard Star and Jack yelling into the room.  
          “Jade! Thank the stars girl! I was looking everywhere for you.” Jack came in and picked her up, holding her tightly in his arms. Jade could feel his hesitation and extreme sadness. Star was standing behind him, holding tightly to her other arm and looking downward. Throttle walked over to her and held on, his tail wrapping around her ankle the same as it did when he was with Jade.  
          “Why can’t I stay here? Star could watch me until you are done…”. Jade’s voice was small.  
          “Honey, you know I can’t. We won’t be gone long baby. We will return. Promise.” Jack had already starting walking out. Star followed behind but not too close. Jade could see she was crying.  
          “Liar!” Jade jumped out of his arms. “You always do this! You tell me it won’t take long but then you’re gone for a year…”. Jade was yelling. Throttle grabbed her from behind, his tail wrapping around her waist as she shivered with anger.  
          “I do not lie!” Jack yelled back. He didn’t have time for this outburst. Maisy had told him that she was being targeted by a rival and he needed to come quickly. There was no time for this.  
          “Yes you do… maybe you don’t realize how much time passes… but I don’t want to leave! I finally found home dad!” Jade was full on crying now. She turned around in Throttle’s arms and buried her face into his soft neck. She breathed in the scent of him, knowing soon she would be gone. Her heart broke. Her voice gone now. There would be no argument anymore. Now was usually the time when her dad would snatch her up and force her to come with him. Minutes passed and Jade looked behind her. Jack was crying. Star rushed over to him as he grabbed for her, pulling her tight. Jade saw him whisper how much he loved her.  
          “I’m sorry…”. Jack sighed and closed his eyes. Star whispered things to him that the kids couldn’t hear. She supported him, told him she loved him and would wait forever. Jack hated to leave but his other daughter needed him. It was his fault she was born… that’s what his culture taught him. He couldn’t fight it. Hopefully Jade would never learn about his culture… he wanted more from her.  
          “Me too, father.” Jade took a deep breath and knew what she had to do. He didn’t need this from her right now. The more she fought, the worse things would be for him. She felt it and sighed inwardly. This was the first time she felt him so conflicted. There was actually a thought to ignore the call for help. Jade couldn’t keep acting up after knowing this. Her father needed her support. “Let’s go. The sooner we leave the sooner we can return, right?” She saw Jack smile.  
          “Yes honey.” His heart broke. Why was he forcing a seven year old to make such an adult decision. She should be throwing a fit now, right? But like always, Jade made adult sacrifices for him. He was being selfish by taking her, he knew that. For a minute he thought about leaving her here with Star. He trusted Star. Selfish Jack won. He watched as Jade turned back into Throttle’s arms and kissed him on the cheek.  
          “Promise.” Jade whispered.  
          “Promise.” Throttle returned. Star gave a big hug to Jade and whispered gentle words. She sang her a Martian song and placed her in Jack’s arms. The family said their goodbyes and watched as a foreign shuttle touched down to pick them up. Throttle was in shock at how quickly this all happened. The promise of a family, a father, happiness and now it was flying away. Jade did not seem convinced that this would be a short trip and that scared Throttle. He worried about her. He worried for her. Star hugged her son and went back into the lonely house. She kept positive thoughts for herself and her son


	2. Return to Mars

  
          The journey to Maisy took over a year to complete. While Jade was left on the main ship, she had reinstalled her AI into a portable unit and started to pick up her lessons again. She decided to name her AI Roland. Not sure where the name came from but it was the only one that rose from her mind and the AI liked it. Jade took lessons on Martian philosophy, language, religion, as well as science, mechanics and mathematics. Roland taught her at her pace and constantly challenged her. Jade tried to find ways to get in contact with Mars but nothing worked. Roland told her they were too close to a natural black hole. Whatever that meant. In all her studies though, she could never recall the Martian words Throttle had her speak; he was in her thoughts all the time. She missed him and her recollection of Star; how she was the only mother she knew. Her father had returned to the ship and Jade had recently found out that they were heading away from the direction Mars was in. Jade stormed into the main bridge.  
          “Dad… this is not the way to Mars.”  
          “I know.” Jack spoke matter-of-fact to her. Jade could not feel any emotions. He was hiding.  
          “Dad…” Jade reached out to him. Jack backed away from her and shook his head.  
          “Don’t. We can’t go back. There… there is nothing to go back to.” Tears fell. Jade fell. “Their village was attacked. The home destroyed. Nothing was left. No one survived. No one…” Jack turned around and walked out, leaving Jade alone to grieve.

 

          Jade was a highly educated twelve year old who made her father cringe with worry whenever she was allowed to leave the ship. Jack couldn’t do anything to keep her curiosity under control. New planets would be fully visited with that strange mechanical pet she created. Jade would explore the regions getting farther and farther from the ship with every stop. He now had to keep a crew member on her ass whenever she left to make sure she returned in time. Since the news was broken to her, she distanced herself from him and he let her. Now, however, was not a time to be acting like a selfish child. Jack got on the hyper bike and rode off in the direction of Jade’s last transmission. After an hour her signal pinged and she was on top of a hill waving at him. Jack was both proud and furious.  
          “Girl… you outdid yourself now. I swear…”. Jack pulled up and stopped next to her. Jade was jumping up and down, laughing manically. She jumped on the bike and kissed him on the cheek. Jack was confused.  
          “Hey… so… you remember Stoker?” Jade smiled brilliantly.  
          “Oh? Stoker? Yeah, he is an old Martian friend… why?”  
          “Well, I finally found a signal to Mars and got some info.” Jade retrieved her pet and opened up a view port.  
          “I told you to drop that Jade. Mars is dead to us.” Jade just stuck out her tongue.  
          “I talked to Stoker. You are wrong. Partly. Star did die… but not Throttle! Stoker found him a year ago helping out other children. He asked him to join the resistance fighters. Throttle is alive!”  
          “Are you sure?” Jack could barely contain his excitement.  
          “You trust Stoker right?”  
          “Well…”. Jack laughed at his own dark joke. Of course he would trust him on this. “How did you remember Stoker? He was around you when you were a baby.”  
          “I remember… don’t know how. He’s not that much older then me huh?”  
          “Only eight years older. He was there when you were born. The little mouse snuck aboard my ship as we were on our way from Mars to Tantulan Six. Helped out after your mom… passed.” Jack’s eyes clouded over for a minute. He recalled both loves of his life suddenly.  
          “Awesome. Let’s get going then!” Jade squeezed in front of Jack and took over driving the hyper bike back to the ship. Jack felt the excitement course through him. Of course it was his daughter that would be the one to never give up hope. He had no idea that she had been searching for this. Jack thanked the gods that she was so stubborn. To hear that Throttle was alive was the best news he had received in years. Watching Jade ride through the dunes with that huge smile made his heart melt as well. Finally she was happy. He worried about her; keeping to herself with only that damn ‘pet’. She was a smart girl, but not street smart. His heart would skip a beat every time they landed on a new planet. Would his baby even know how to protect herself? Soon they were back on his ship with Jade rushing to the navigations computer to input the new coordinates. The ship was off and Jade was back to her room planning out what she was going to do when she saw Throttle again. Her heart was skipping beats just thinking of it.

  
          “Stoker!” Jack yelled out as he jumped off the ship’s ramp. “Good to see you again mouse!”  
          “Hey Jack. Yeah, its been years huh? Throttle is back at the base camp. Figured you wanted to see him first.” Stoker threw his thumb over his shoulder and Jack ran off. Jade walked down the ramp next, her dark hair blowing with the Martian winds. Stoker stopped. The last time he saw her, she was a baby just learning how to walk. He was not expecting this. She was around twelve years old, but there was something so much more mature about her. So much like her mother. Green eyes spotted him and a smile spread. Jade rushed up to Stoker and held on tight. Stoker was put off by the sudden hug but relaxed as he breathed her in. A familiar scent.  
          “Stoker! I knew it was you.” Jade’s voice was melodic… like her mom’s.  
          “Hey little one… you… you’ve, um, grown quite a bit.” Stoker pulled her out of the hug, starting to feel uncomfortable. She was twelve…  
          “You last saw me as a baby right?”  
          “Yeah.”  
          “So then I must look totally different!” She laughed and Stoker smiled. He relaxed a bit.  
          “You look so much like your mom, girl. She was breathtaking.” He smiled at the memory. He was only around seven but he always remembered how she looked like a goddess incarnate.  
          “Really? Dad doesn’t really talk about her…” Jade looked downward. Stoker raised her head by her chin and smiled.  
          “She had brilliant light blue skin and long dark hair. I remember her singing a lot.”  
          “How did you meet her? Dad said you snuck aboard the ship.”  
          “Ha! Yeah…” Stoker scratched the back of his head with embarrassment. “I saw her walking onto the ship and I followed. I had a, um, habit of trying to get off the planet. I hated my family. She was so beautiful so I thought I could just follow her this time. Better then the usually pirates I saw. I could tell she was pregnant and it just added to her beauty. She loved being pregnant. She found me on the ship. I was afraid of your dad but she got me to come out with a song. They were on their way to a special hospital for her to give birth. Your dad wanted to return me but your mom said I needed to come with them. Said I needed to understand something about life…”. Stoker looked out into the distance. She had taught him a lesson alright. He looked back at Jade, her eager eyes waiting for him to continue. He motioned for them to start walking towards base camp as he continued. “I was rushed with them when they landed. Her contractions started and doctors were yelling about the risk of injury. Now, I have been around a lot of births with my clan… I’ve seen all this… but there was a different feel to hers. They knew something bad was coming, but your mom’s face was serene; your dad was eager. I grabbed a hold of your mom’s hand and she smiled at me. Told me to stay close.”  
          “Captain Stoker!” Another male mouse saluted him as Stoker nodded his head. “We have the information you asked for.”  
          “Thanks. That’s all.” Stoker looked over the data pad then handed it to someone else before continuing. Jade stayed the quiet the whole time, afraid if she said anything Stoker would stop talking. “Where was I… oh yeah. So your mom kept me on one side and your dad on the other. Before everyone got started, she made everyone promise her something. She said that she knew this birth would kill her. Her race was not meant to birth your dad’s race… something like that. Basically you were larger then what her body was ready to birth. And you weren’t exactly ready to be born… her body couldn’t handle you anymore. She made everyone promise to save you no matter what the cost. I was in shock. I had just met her and she was going to die. Her eyes turned to mine and I remember seeing joy, not sadness.” Stoker paused a moment. “Never forget that.” He looked at Jade, saw the anticipation and understanding. “Well, she died and you lived. Your dad… he… had trouble with both things happening at once.” Stoker closed his eyes and remembered Jack draped over his dead wife’s body, crying while his new baby screamed in the background. He wasn’t able to process everything at that moment. Mourning over the loss of one and celebration over the birth of another. Stoker always thought he chose poorly.  
          Young Stoker had watched the scene unfold in horror at first and then in amazement. A new life was created out of the death of another. The beautiful baby girl who was born a month early but healthy. She was cleaned and wrapped up; set aside in a see-through cradle for her father to start caring for her. But the father did not walk over to her. The race of this planet believed that no one other then the birth parents should ever touch a newborn baby. So the doctors and nurses had left, hoping the father would come around. For an hour that baby was left crying. It was driving Stoker nuts! By this time, in his own clan, someone would have seen to her needs. No movement from the dad. So Stoker moved forward, lifted the baby up in his arms, and sang an old Martian lullaby he often heard from his mother. The baby grew quiet. Stoker knew how to take care of babies… there were a lot of siblings and cousins in his clan. So he took the formula provided, sat with the small girl and fed her. Even when the nurses came in to remove the body, Jack had not paid attention to his daughter. Stoker gave him the time he needed to mourn and decided to focus on the new life. She smelled so nice, like her mom. Stoker could feel her calming down already. She snuggled against his tan fur, one small hand clenching a tuft at his shoulder. Mice were born fur-less so this wasn’t so different. Except the ears… and the nose… and no tail…  
          “Stoker?” Jade had placed a hand on his arm. Stoker looked to his side seeing those same eyes looking up at him. He was not seeing her as a baby. He was not seeing her as clan. Stoker did not know what was racing through his veins currently, so he pushed it aside.  
          “Sorry kid… lost in thought. Anyway you were the lesson your mom wanted me to have. How life was worth living in its many different ways. She choose to give her life so you could live. My problems seemed small all of a sudden. I figured that I could endure whatever was waiting for me. I talked Jack into returning to Mars. My clan welcomed us back and were more then willing to offer guidance to him and his newborn. Funny though…”. Stoker chuckled, “you screamed around other clan members for the first month. Wouldn’t let anyone else but me or your dad take care of you. Too funny watching my mother at a loss for once. But it was strange how I knew what was wrong before you started a fuss… I mean, I’ve got some abilities but nothing like my mom…”. Stoker faded off in thought as Jade tried to figure out what he meant. Then she saw Throttle.  
          Stoker looked up to see a huge smile on the young mouse’s face just as Jade rushed into his arms. Throttle hadn’t smiled like that since he found him on the streets. It was good seeing the kid happy for once. Stoker walked over to Jack and the two departed to talk about other things. Jade pulled away from Throttle and looked him over. His fur had darkened from a light brown to a chestnut color, his eyes took a reddish brown and his hair was sticking up in the front. She chuckled as she tried to smooth it down. He swatted her hand away and gave her an evil look that made her giggle. Throttle missed that about her. They could always make each other laugh. Jade looked different to him too. She was more sure of herself, more confident. She was slightly shorter, but where he was still growing into his body, Jade was showing signs of muscle under the skin. Her eyes though… Throttle never forgot those. It was hard to find anything green on Mars anymore.  
          “Jade… I’ve missed you so much. I never thought I was going to see you again.” Throttle started to choke up remembering the last time he saw her. Before the war blew through his village.  
          “You have no idea! We thought you were dead… both of you. Dad never wanted to return but I had this feeling… I just knew one of you were alive.” Jade hugged him again, taking in his scent and how it reminded her that she was home. Throttle ran a hand through her hair, amazed at the softness.  
          “I missed you. In so many ways…” he backed away and started to chuckle. “I have needed to talk to someone about everything that happened. There’s no one here I really want to talk to. I mean I trust Stoker, but he really isn’t the type of mouse you sit down with for long conversations about life.” Jade giggled at that. “We have a lot to catch up on.”  
          “You have no clue!” A loud purr emanated from her feet. There was a mechanical animal looking device tapping her with its paw. Throttle backed away to look at it. “Oh, this is Roland. He’s that AI I told you about? I needed a way to keep him around but not have it look like I stole a certain AI that dad didn’t want me having… remember?”  
          “Yeah. Good disguise. What does it want?”  
          “He. Roland decided to be a he a while ago. He is trying to tell me…” Jade listened to the beeps and whirs that the AI was making, “that he senses the presence of another AI. Yeah Roland, those are the bikes I told you about. Certain Martians have motorcycles with AI that are passed down to them through family.” Jade looked up at Throttle, “Do you still have yours?”  
          “Yep. I saved her. Had her hidden until Stoker found me a year ago. He’s been teaching me how to ride and fight.” Throttle beamed with pride. “You wanna see her again?” He winked as Jade practically jumped into his arms. The two dashed off as Jack swatted Stoker on his back.  
          “I knew it. Those two just picked up where they left off huh? No time passed or anything…”. Jack wished he could be like that.  
          “Yeah… I guess. Good for them… kids need to be kids every now and then.” Stoker sounded grumpy suddenly and Jack smiled.  
          “Ohhhh, poor old mouse getting all jealous because he’s not the center of her world now?”  
          “Fuck off Jack. It’s not that. She’s a kid…”  
          “So are you.”  
          “If I recall, my age is considered an adult here on Mars.” Stoker crossed his arms, staring Jack down.  
          “Not by my race. You’re still a kid, kid.”  
          “Says the man whose well over three hundred…”  
          “Yep. You’re all kids. Deal with it.” Jack chuckled.  
          “Wonder if she will take after you…”Stoker mumbled.  
          “Hmmmm, never thought of that. With her mom’s race, the females pass on more of the male’s genetic characteristics. But Jade looks so much like her with each year.” Jack looked at Stoker who was getting more angry. Stoker slammed his fist down on the nearby table and yelled.  
          “Why don’t you ever say her fucking name?! Why do you push her aside like she never lived?! And why the fuck didn’t you EVER tell Jade about her?!?” Jack growled a string of obscenities and stormed off. Stoker looked at the table and took a deep breath. Why did he always start a fight with that man? Stoker knew it was because he hated Jack’s decisions in life. He would never had made those mistakes. He would have spent more time with his daughter and not push her away because she looked like her mother… Stoker shook his head and sat down, watching as Jack stormed past his daughter. Jade looks to Jack and then back in the direction he came. She eyes Stoker. Jade tells Throttle to check on her dad while she goes to find out what happened. When she walks in, Stoker is already in a foul mood.  
          “What happened? Are you alright?” Her voice was inquisitive not accusing. Stoker didn’t expect that.  
          “Um, yeah. Don’t you want to know why I pissed him off?”  
          “Everyone pisses him off. Each for their own special reasons… hell I do it just out of boredom.” Stoker laughed at this.  
          “Fuck girl… sorry for my language.” Jade waved him off. “I just don’t agree with some crap your dad does. Never mind that. Why did you send Throttle after him?”  
          “Maybe because I know how often people piss him off and I know that I would most likely agree with the person who pissed him off? Throttle has been removed from him so he is more willing to be a listener and provide dad with some increase in pride. I, however, know my dad and that he needs to have that stupid pride of his knocked down every so often. Or else it gets too big to live with… then he usually finds a girl, they try to kiss my ass, and then he dumps them and they blame me… blah blah blah.” Stoker stairs at her.  
          “Wow. You’ve lived the life huh?”  
          “Yup. But I’m home now.” Jade looked back out into the sky and smiled. Stoker watched her; she was intelligent and beautiful… all by age ten. Imagine…

          Throttle ran up to Jack and kept pace with him until he came to a stop. Jack swung around and waited for the accusations that always came when someone attempted to calm him down. They didn’t come with Throttle. The mouse just waited for Jack to make the first move. Jack let out the breath he was holding and brought in the young mouse for a hug.  
          “Throttle, son, I am so happy you lived. I’m so sorry I left. If I didn’t maybe… maybe she would…” Jack started to tear up again. He blamed himself for so long.  
          “Jack… If you would have stayed, you might be dead too. Jade as well. I happened to be out when the first wave hit, the one mom died in. The house was leveled. It was hard enough losing mom, but to think if all of you were in there… I wouldn’t be able to make it. I had hoped you wouldn’t return to soon after. I didn’t want you two to get caught up in this whole war. The Plutarkians finally decided to go the direct route and take the land for themselves. When Stoker found me, I was already plotting how to get back at those stink fish for what they did to me. I have never blamed you.” Throttle spoke about facts and Jack appreciated that. The boy was grounded in the facts not off the radar with his ‘feelings’ clouding what was really going on. He understood the larger picture; a natural leader. Jack was proud.  
          “I’m proud of you, son. You moved on to become stronger. You know… I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us but I think I know your answer…”. Jack put his hand on Throttle’s arm.                                               “We’re planning on staying for a couple of days. I’ll break the news to Jade later. You two just spend this time catching up and finding a way to stay in touch. I’ll… I’ll be around…”. Before Throttle could say anything, Jack was off. Throttle walked back to the main tent where Stoker and Jade were. The area was strangely quiet when he came in.  
          “Hey kid… how’s Jack?” Stoker stood up and acted busy with a nearby data pad.  
          “Fine, I guess. Jade?” She turned to face him. “Wanna go for that ride?” Jade looked at Stoker who waved her off. With a huge smile, Jade ran off with Throttle as Stoker rolled his eyes. Jade was still a kid alright…  
          “Throttle?” Jade asked while they arrived at his bike.  
          “Hmmm?”  
          “Was dad… ok?”  
          “Yeah. He’s fine. I guess he felt guilty… like this was all his fault or that he would have been able to save everyone if he were here.”  
          “Stupid… I saw what happened; found the vids. There was no way. We would have been home at that time and would have died with mom.” Jade covered her mouth with her hand and Throttle turned around with a smile.  
          “You called her mom.”  
          “I did…” then the tears came. Jade had held them back since walking off the ship, but after saying that title, they all came out. Throttle held on tight, allowing everything to come out and providing soothing words of comfort. Jade didn’t take long to recover and pointed to the bike. “I remember more red on her…”  
          “Hey, I like black. Kept some red, don’t be a pain.”  
          “Fine…”. Jade giggled as Throttle started her up. The engine roared to life as he lifted Jade up with his tail and set her behind him. Throttle had just grown that extra inch needed to fully control the bike; he thanked the goddess that the AI inside could keep herself upright just in case. He put the bike into gear and raced off into the vast emptiness that was now the Martian landscape.  
          Mile after mile passed with the same scenery; empty lands with huge holes dug in, debris of once large cities and the destruction of various war vehicles. Jade had read about the forced occupation of Mars on the intergalactic news portals. No one in the outer rims cared much about what was going on in this little solar system. Everyone pretty much felt that this region was barbaric and technologically challenged, thus unworthy of stepping in to save. Not that Jade found anything outside of this solar system worth her time either. Better that Mars dealt with Mars for now. The Plutarkians were a threat on many planets but hadn’t quite moved up the the intergalactic threat level. They were known for depleting other planet’s of their resources because they squandered all of theirs. First the Plutarkians would socialize with the planet, gain trust and pay off important people to gain more trust. Then they would buy up large pieces of useless land; no one would mind at first. Then they would bribe the right people to get the inhabited pieces of land. Last, when the right people caught wind of their plans, the Plutarkians would just fight for the leftovers. The local inhabitants would roll over and let it happen, having lost so many due to unknown quakes or pot holes swallowing up cities. So sad.  
          On Mars, the Plutarkians upped their game. They knew that the Martians were a peaceful race with clans that they would fiercely protect. Knowing that there was a potential for war, the Plutarkians came in with plans to improve the planet’s water systems. Adding much needed ‘vitamins’ and filters so the delivery of clean water was received by all. Unknown to many, those vitamins contained minor chemicals that, over time, would decrease the fertility of many Martians. Over the years, less and less children were being born and by the time they figured it out, war was upon them. Jade went over all these facts as she held tight to Throttle. At some point, her hands had found their way under his jacket and onto the soft fur around his sides. This type of fur to skin contact increased their ability to sense each other’s emotions and let them tune in to thoughts. Throttle’s thoughts were mainly on the road ahead until Jade started to notice that he was building muscle too. Then Throttle almost veered off the road. He brought the bike to a stop and chuckled while Jade blushed.  
          “This is a good place to stop…”. Throttle helped Jade off and pointed off to the horizon. “The massive hole over there was the main city… First strike.”  
          “Wow…”. Jade stood beside Throttle, still blushing as he bumped into her. “Sorry…”  
          “Don’t be. I… um… thanks.” Throttle scratched the back of his neck and straightened back up pointing to the left. “That was the location of the second city. And off the the west… that was our village. As you see, we were directly in the way of the primary attacks.” Jade held on to his arm then, making sure to touch the fabric.  
          “Can’t believe it happened so quickly after we left.”  
          “Yeah, I’m glad you left when you did. Mom would have… she would have…”. Throttle sniffed.  
          “I miss her.” Jade quietly sighed. Throttle turned her around in his arms, kissed the top of her head and pulled her into a hug. With her face on his bare chest, he could hear the thoughts and accusations going around in her mind. Jade did blame her dad, no matter what she said aloud. She felt that Jack accepted facts too fast without double checking where the information was coming from. Throttle got a strong feeling that over the years, Jade had grown into someone who sought her own facts, a skeptic until she could prove it with her own eyes. Throttle could see that was going to happen with her sooner or later. He also knew that Jade was now privy to his own inner thoughts, so he decided to bring down all his walls. Throttle took a deep breath and relaxed everything. A sudden gush of emotions and thoughts and nightmares flooded the two as Jade dove in touching some thoughts and moving past others. She rode the waves in search for answers she wanted while Throttle discovered that he was the one with all the talent. Throttle had been taught from a young age how to use his powers, as Jade was a novice, teaching herself. Throttle allowed her to float around, finding out what she wanted to know. It distracted her from what he initially wanted. Throttle wanted to know if she remembered their promise. He wanted to know if she ever discovered what it meant. She didn’t. She learned Martian but could never exactly recall those words they spoke in that shrine all those years ago. Throttle smiled. There was still time then.  
          “Find what you wanted?” Throttle asked after a couple of moments passed.  
          “Yeah, thanks. I think I needed that… it’s been difficult lately. Learning who I can trust and who I can’t. There’s been a lot of movement on his ships lately. We’ve had a lot of betrayal and I just can’t find it in myself to attach on to anyone new lately. I thought it was me at first… but no, it’s their twisted ideas about life and that stupid ‘screw you before you screw me’ mentality. Not that dad doesn’t buy into that himself…”  
          “Seriously? Has he?” Throttle looked into those green eyes.  
          “Yup… screwed over the last crew he had out of half a billion credits. I don’t get it… there’s nothing he ever buys… have no idea where the money goes.” Jade rested her head on his chest again, closing her eyes to the setting sun. “I’m just so tired Throttle…”  
          “Nightmares keeping you up huh?”  
          “Yeah, just like when we were kids. These are a bit more intense though. I’ve been having to give myself supplements to sleep at night. But even with them I barely get five hours…”. Jade felt herself completely relax in his arms. Throttle was always so warm and so soft.  
          “I remember having to sleep next to you just to get you back to sleep at night. You feel like you need a good night’s rest, babe. How about we head back? I’ll help you…”. Throttle looked down to see Jade slightly nod. They hopped on the bike and headed back to base camp. By the time Throttle pulled in, the sun had set. Jade was almost asleep as Throttle picked her up and headed to the barracks. The two laid in the farthest bunk and fell asleep. Other Martian freedom fighters would peer in throughout the night, just to get a look at the new alien. No one disturbed them though, Stoker warned everyone to leave those two alone. Jade finally got her eight hours of sleep before waking up to an angry Stoker.  
          “Just what in the goddess’ green garden do you think you’re doing? Get that bunk in shape or I’ll make you scrub the latrine! Punks! All of you…”. Stoker grumbled on until he got to the bunk the two had been sleeping in. Throttle was already up and dressed for the day. Jade was covering the blanket over her eyes. “And then there’s you… lazy like your old man… get that ass up now girl! Your running sprints with us this morning. Nothing like being drenched in your own sweat to wake you up in the morning…” Stoker winked at Throttle as he walked out.  
          “Gee… is he always like this?” Jade grumbled.  
          “I think this is only for you, babe. Better get up, he wasn’t joking.” Throttle laughed as he headed out the door. With the troops gone, Jade got herself changed into one of Throttle’s tan tanks and camo pants. She was finishing tying up her boots when Stoker came back in.  
          “Good… you took me seriously. The rest of the troops are doing their warm up run. I wanted to get some time to work with you personally. Don’t like the idea of you being alone so much… gonna test you on your survival skills and defenses. Now, don’t give me that look, your daddy has already informed me that against his will, you have been training yourself. Good. Now I’m going to step in as your worst nightmare.”  
          “Yes sir…”. Jade smiled up at Stoker who winked.  
          “Let’s assess what you have and what you need. I want you able to protect yourself if it ever comes to that.”  
          “How did you know that I was left alone?”  
          “Because, I was there in the beginning and your dad is a creature of habit… not surprised to know he still does it. How long for the last ‘trip’?” Stoker sat down beside her on the bunk. Jade finished tying her boot and looked down to the ground.  
          “The longest I’ve been on my own was for two years. Basically stranded on that fucking ship with a few older guys I could go to for help. Most of the crew I stayed away from when I got a good sense of their feelings. Scary what some guys think of… girls too…”  
          “Asshole.” Stoker sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “Wanna stay here? Could always use another freedom fighter.”  
          “Thanks…. Really… but I have a feeling that these mice here don’t really trust me.”  
          “Yeah, can’t blame them. They’re just leery around new races now. But I really could use your help Jade.” Stoker placed a hand on her back as she looked up at him.  
          “Thanks… I’ll find a way to keep in touch, promise.” Jade placed her hand on top of his, expecting the usual wave of emotion but getting nothing. Her eyes went wide.  
          “What’s wrong?” Stoker turned her around, his hands on her shoulders as she stared at him with her mouth open. She looked like she was in shock. “Jade… darling, what is wrong?”  
          “I feel nothing. Nothing. No emotion… no thoughts… what the fuck is going on?” Jade stared at Stoker as he chuckled.  
          “I was wondering about that.”  
          “Wondering about what?”  
          “Your ability to sense other’s emotions through touch. If that were true, you would have reacted to my fear a whole bunch of times when you were a baby. But instead, I always reacted to your emotions… I still feel them… when I focus on you I get them more.”  
          “When did you know? I mean, when did you realize?” Jade stood up then, pacing the ground. She had never been able to touch someone and not know their emotions. Not even her dad, which made things strange at times. But now, here was someone that she knew… trusted… and couldn’t feel??? Her heart raced. A safe place. Finally.  
          “I figured it out when I first saw you. Could still sense your emotions but I thought I was just stating the obvious. But after that touch… I could pick up words from you… you feel like you are… relieved? Nice to finally have a ‘safe place’?” Stoker winked. Jade pulled him off the cot for a huge hug, snuggling her face into his shirt. Stoker placed a hand on the back of her head and sighed.  
          “Yeah… its actually nice.”  
          “Good, you wouldn’t want to know what goes on in my dirty mind anyway…”. Jade chuckled. “And don’t you think for a second I’m going easy on you. I’m seriously going to put you through the ringer. I want you safe… always…”.  
          “Yes sir…” she said softly. So opposite of how her own father sounded.

          For the entirety of that day, Stoker spent the time to fully test Jade on what she knew about survival on foreign planets and basic self defense. He wasn’t too thrilled with her lack of fighting… this was something Jack should have taught her a long time ago. Stoker did his best to fill in the gaps. Jade had never sweated so much in her life and by the end of the lessons, every muscle was fatigued. Throttle had been a part of some of the lessons as well; Jade got to see the studious side of him. The two worked well together and Stoker was happy to see how well they could communicate without words. The longer the two were around each other, the easier it was for them to inwardly communicate. Stoker had a good laugh when he had to point this out to them; they didn’t even notice that they were doing it. The rest of the troops watched in awe at the special attention Jade was receiving. Stoker was an amazing teacher and any mouse would have given their tails to get this much one on one. Jade also realized that there were a lot of jealous vibes circulating from the girls in camp as well. She noticed how they watched Stoker and couldn’t help but be bothered with it. They looked upon him like he was a piece of meat; much like the women who popped in and out of her dad’s life now.  
          By the time dinner came around, Jack had returned with a couple bottles of beer for himself and Stoker. The two retreated back into another tent and left Throttle and Jade alone in the mess hall. Jade could barely lift her arm up to feed herself as Throttle nearly fell over laughing. This quickly led to a food fight between the two that engulfed half the mess hall of kids. The adults looked on with a smile, letting the kids be kids for a moment longer. After the fight had stopped, though, everyone was forced to clean up before being sent on their ways. Throttle led Jade back to his bike and they took off towards the shrine from long ago. Throttle had it in his mind to continue what was started when they were kids. He had to see this through no matter what. Jade would probably still have no idea about his true intentions, and he had the abilities to keep it that way. If things didn’t play out the way he hoped, then she would never know the truth. No harm, no foul as Stoker always said.

  
          The night was upon them as Throttle led Jade through the broken entrance to the shrine. Jade spent a while looking at the statues, taking in the details she didn’t have time for during her first visit. Throttle came straight in, lit some candles near the main shrine and started to fill the bowls with water from his canteen. Throttle started the ritual with the reverence song, something that he learned from his mom before he could talk. He hummed through the beginning as Jade walked over and continued the next verse in perfect Martian. Throttle froze, staring at her until she finished. He was afraid that she knew why he brought her.  
          “I remember mom singing that to me, the night after we got home.” Jade blushed. “I mean, your mom…”  
          “Don’t apologize… please. Mom would have loved hearing you call her that. She always worried about you, telling me that I had to track you down no matter what if you guys didn’t return. I just never thought… I was alone… and I noticed that so many other kids were like me. Homeless, clan-less… I tried going back to my mom’s clan but they refused to take me in. So I took in the stray kids like me. Stole food from the Plutarkian forces and helped coordinate small diversionary attacks for the Martian soldiers. Stoker heard about me and then sought me out. I’ve learned a lot from him this last year.” Throttle gave Jade a smile and pulled her into his arms. “But now, I’ve got part of my clan back… in a way…”  
          “In a way? What does that mean? You talking about Jack?” Jade chuckled as Throttle looked up at the statue. He was withholding something from her and she knew it. At first she was angry, but then remembered that Throttle had a right to his own thoughts; she would want him to do the same for her.  
          “Um… yeah… Jack…”. Throttle paced around the small room while staring at the ground. How was he going to continue with the ceremony without Jade figuring out what he was trying to do? Then it hit him… the perfect half truth. He was going to make her clan… just in a different way… “Jade? I want to go through another old ritual in front of my family’s chosen goddess… if that’s alright with you?”  
          “Sure… I studied a bit about your religion but it was hard to follow at times. I know the mice worship goddesses but couldn’t find any that matched the statue of yours.”  
          “Yeah, she’s an older one from an older clan. Mom’s clan. She felt that her clan had betrayed her but never felt her family’s goddess did. This ritual will… ah… keep you safe and… make sure you are taken care of…”. Throttle was searching for alternative ways to describe the ritual where Jade wouldn’t figure out the truth. Thankfully she bought it.  
          “Ok. What do I need to say?”  
          “Nothing… this is more of a proclamation then a ritual. This piggybacks what we said as kids.” Throttle kept his eyes on the water bowl, adding the correct ingredients for the tea.  
          “Oh… did you understand what we said back then? Or were you just going by memory of something you didn’t fully get…”. Jade watched as Throttle slowly stirred the water, his face set in a line of concentration.  
          “Um…” Throttle looked up at Jade then. “No, I fully understood… I’ll explain it all to you one day.” Jade nodded her head and waited for Throttle to finish. The tea was completed and held between the two of them. Throttle looked at Jade, seeing the young woman that she was becoming at too young an age. He felt like this as well; forced to grow up before he should. Now they were both back at the shrine, one last step after this and the deal would be done. He wasn’t sure if Jade was going to kill him once she found out. Throttle decided at seven that he didn’t care. Now looking into those green eyes… he knew it would destroy him if she ended up hating him for this. Throttle made a decision to speak in her basic tongue, not in Martian. His words would have been of an older vernacular and Jade would not understand. She needed to understand some of what he was saying this time. “Jade. You came here on your own moments before our lives changed for the worse. Somehow you found your way to my family’s shrine, in font of the very goddess that my mom and I worship. I fully believe that She brought you here that day. I followed Her lead and knew that there was a reason for it all. I… I care for you, always have. I wanted you to be safe and to be taken care of no matter how far away you might have gone. I wanted you to know that I would always be here for you. That night, we said some ancient words that changed our destinies. She kept you safe and brought you back to me. I believe that She was the one that put the thought in your head that one of us survived, so you would never give up. I… I don’t expect you to believe the same as me… but I wanted to let you know how I feel. I offer this tea to you now as my equal. In… in representation of… a…” Throttle was having difficulty finding the correct words to use where Jade wouldn’t find out what he was doing; “of.. the future that we may have together. I… um… um…”  
          “Don’t worry about formalities Throttle, just tell me however you want to tell me.” Jade’s smile helped him find the words.  
          “You have been so much for me for so long. You gave me comfort and strength when I thought I had none. You gave me purpose. You provided me with comfort. All these abilities are highly sought after… for a… a…” he struggled now, wanting to say the truth but holding back, “for someone I want in a clan.” Half truth is better, Throttle decided. “I want to offer you this, to once again let you know how important you are in my life and how I do not want to lose you. Will you continue to find me in times that we are separated? Will you return to me after you leave?” Throttle looked again into those eyes and smiled.  
          “Of course I will! You should never worry about that…”. Jade smiled back as she took the bowl from Throttle. He motioned for her to sip and she did. Throttle took the bowl and did the same. For the second time in her life, Jade felt the warmth grow from within, a feeling of being home and being safe. Jade rested within Throttle’s arms and closed her eyes. Throttle kissed the top of her head and relaxed for the first time in years. Jade had no idea what exactly was going on, but knew this was very important to Throttle.

  
          “Dammit Jade! You’ve got to be better then this! Faster then this! This should all be muscle memory!!!” Stoker yelled at Jade while attacking her. He swung left after right as she dodged and parried. Jade’s movements were not fast enough and he had struck her a couple of times. Stoker believed in the tough lessons and knew that other people would not pull their punches. The first strike hit hard and Throttle had to be held back from attacking Stoker. A small group of Martian soldiers had formed a circle around the two, watching Stoker fight at a speed never before seen. He pulled out moves that were underhanded, dirty, cheating by some books. Jade had yelled for Throttle to stay back, knowing that she needed this hard lesson. The next move caught her by surprise, a leg sweep that landed her on her ass as Stoker jumped on top to pin her arms up above her head. His back legs entwined with hers while his tail wrapped tightly around her stomach. Jade was unable to move as Stoker brought his snout close to her ear.  
          “I’ve got you darling… treat this like a real scenario. No one is around you. No one to call out to for help. All alone. The guy on top of you doesn’t have your best interest in mind. What do you do?” Stoker tightened up as Jade struggled to find some kind of leverage. It seemed that every way she moved, other muscles tightened their grip on her. A slow panic deep within started to build as Stoker worried that she was going to take after her father. Jade closed her eyes and took a deep breath, opened her eyes and kissed Stoker on the mouth. Stoker was caught off guard and relaxed for a fraction of a second which gave Jade the opportunity to redirect his balance and overturn him. Jade now found herself on top, mimicking the same hold he had on her. Unfortunately she did not have a tail and forgot about his. The hold lasted a minute as Stoker chuckled, twisted his tail around her and flipped her over to land in the mud. Jade sat on her ass, wiping the mud out of her face as the crowd around them laughed and clapped. Obviously the lesson was over. Stoker shooed them away and told Throttle to get a towel. With him out of the way, Stoker reached out to offer Jade a hand. She grabbed a hold and pulled him beside her into the mud, throwing another handful at his face. Stoker laughed and sat beside her.  
          “You bastard!” Jade cursed with a smile.  
          “Me? You played dirty baby… kissing me like that. I’m proud.”  
          “You forced me…”  
          “I did. You need to use all the resources available to you. Play dirty. Be mean. Whatever keeps you alive…”. Stoker looked at her now, the press of those lips still warm upon his. He shook his head and stood up. “I’m glad you learned.”  
          “I won’t forget… any of it…”. Stoker could see the blush beneath the mud and turned to meet Throttle who carried several towels. He could feel Jade’s emotions snake their way to him as he reminded himself that she was twelve. He hated himself right now…  
          “She got you huh?” Throttle teased.  
          “Yeah… she did…”. Stoker grumbled as he grabbed a towel and left. He needed a cold thermal misting and time away from this girl. Jade got to him in a way no other ever had. He wondered if this was the type of bond his family wanted when they forced him to attend his betrothal’s birth. Create a bond early enough so this was the only person you reacted to… Stoker shook his head and cursed at himself. All this time he spent running from the very thing he may have unwilling created in another.  
          “You alright Jade? I can’t believe you threw him off guard…”. Throttle handed her the towel and helped her stand up. Jade wiped off her face and smiled.  
          “Yeah… he was talking about life not being fair and that you have to fight dirty sometimes, so I thought this was the purpose of the lesson. I was right. Although I think I should have handled it differently. That wasn’t fair of me to do that to him. He’s been trying to help me and here I go and embarrass him like that. Everyone’s going to call him a cradle robber now…”. Throttle laughed as Jade glared at him.  
          “Whoa Jade… cool it a bit…” more laughter as he struggled to catch his breath, “this kind of thing is not unknown for our clans…”  
          “What?!?”  
          “Many of the old clans believe in the first son of a rival clan being betrothed to the first born girl of the other clan. Doesn’t matter how many years are between the two either. Mom told me that her clan joined with another clan through the marriage of a couple that was twenty years her senior.” Jade stared at Throttle showing the disgust at these words. Throttle laughed again. “Yeah, mom had that same look when she told me. I didn’t think Stoker came from an old clan though… maybe.”  
          “Wow. Glad you guys don’t do that anymore. I, in no way, want to be married off to a guy who is twenty years older OR younger then me!”  
          “I know… but Stoker isn’t that much older then you…”. Throttle winked at her. Jade pushed Throttle into the mud and walked off with all the towels.

  
          That night, Stoker had a nightmare that sent him on a long bike ride along the Martian dunes. The ride didn’t help settle his nerves. Images of Jade in distress, crying, screaming out his name with him not being able to reach her in time flooded his senses. He knew it was due to those tough lessons he was giving her. Stoker brought the bike to a stop and sighed heavily. On one hand, he trusted that Jack would keep his daughter safe. On the other hand, he knew Jack would likely abandon her if Maisy called. It was this thought that gave the mouse chills. Jade was turning into a stunning young woman, the type bad men would target. Not like Jack helped in this matter; many of his rivals would do anything to get the upper hand on Jack. Stoker shook his head and talked to his bike.  
          “Fuck. What am I doing huh?” The bike roared and beeped. The AI acknowledging that Stoker was indeed talking to him. “I feel responsible, like I should be watching her. When I get around her is another story… she… dammit she catches me off guard all the fuckin time! Doesn’t help that I can read her mind either. Those innocent thoughts… please goddess, don’t let me be the girl’s first crush. I won’t be able to behave… fuck!”  
          Stoker strikes the gas tank and the bike honks. He apologizes and starts the engine, heading back to the bunker. Half way through the ride, Stoker notices a small light leading in another direction. He decided to follow, curiosity getting the best of him but also being one of the commanding officers, he had to know who was breaking curfew. Around a hill, Stoker spied Jade sitting along an incline with the light between her legs. He brought the bike to a slow stop near her, got off and joined her at the bottom of the hill. She looked exhausted.  
          “Babe? What are you doing out here?” Stoker slightly bumped her. Jade leaned against his side and brought her head to his shoulder. Her thoughts were cloudy, almost as if she was still sleeping or just woke up. “Do you know how you got out here?”  
          “Yeah. Sorry. Had to get out of there…” Jade whispered. Stoker could feel it now; Jade was majorly upset with something. She was hiding it really well but with the close proximity, he could feel it now. Something happened and Throttle was at the heart of it.  
          “Talk to me. I listen sometimes…”. Jade smiled and looked up at him. Green eyes that held back tears.  
          “Met Carbine.” Jade closed her eyes as Stoker let out a breath. Carbine, his niece that had a growing interest in Throttle. The two met last month during a cross training exercise between the freedom fighters and the military. Carbine was following in her dad’s footsteps, much to Stoker’s demise.  
          “Ah… that explains everything.”  
          “I shook her hand. Got a reading of her emotions… jealousy towards me and possessive of Throttle.” She sighed. Stoker placed an arm around her shoulder. “She wanted to talk to Throttle and I didn’t want to interfere. So I tried to sleep and it didn’t work. Now that I’m home, I guess I’m too use to having him sleep behind me… like we did when we were kids…”  
          “He told me about you. Sounded like he was really missing you. Might not want to base her feelings too much on what he might want.”  
          “He would want a mouse like her. Not an alien. Makes sense you know. But I shouldn’t be this upset Stoker… he’s a friend… he’s like clan…”  
          “Clan can mean a whole lot of different things babe… A whole lot.” Stoker squeezed her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. At least he didn’t have to worry about being her first crush; Throttle was it.  
          “Yeah… but… I don’t know… I just thought… he…”. Jade paused. “I thought maybe he…”. She sighed and fell against Stoker.  
          “You never know. You two are too young anyway. Give it time. Besides, why would you want your first guy to be inexperienced? Wouldn’t you want to start with a teacher? Hmmmm? A grizzled war vet? A mouse who is rugged and sexy…?” Stoker heard Jade giggle as he kept it going. She lifted her head up then with a brilliant smile.  
          “Oh… like general Buck???” Jade replied flatly as she tried to keep the smile off her face.  
          “Oh you little shit! General Buck? General Buck! He’s got nothing on me! Pompous… arrogant… soldier who take orders without question! How could you ever think THAT mouse could be sexy?” Stoker fake yelled at her, poking her on the chest with a wink.  
          “But he’s so dreamy…”. Jade giggled harder as Stoker pretended to be hurt.  
          “Yeah, well I’ve got the first claim on you girl… remember who you kissed!”  
          “Throttle, you’re right. I kissed him first.” Another giggle as Stoker acted shocked, his hand over his heart and mouth dropped open.  
          “Why you two timing… and here I though I was the love of your life???” Stoker pulled her against his chest as Jade relaxed.  
          “Thanks Stoker. I think I needed this.”  
          “You need more…”. Stoker said this under his breath.  
          “What?” Jade sat up and looked at him. He waved it off and got her on her feet.  
          “Let’s get you on back. No reason for you to be so far away from base camp. It’s not safe out here.”  
          “I’m not that far out, am I?” Jade stopped and looked around. “Oh crap… I walked farther then I thought.”  
          “So like your dad.” Stoker rolled his eyes as they walked over to his bike. Stalker was a sleek black motorcycle with smooth edges and a stealth design. Jade took a minute to admire as Stoker hopped on. He placed a helmet on her and set her behind him with his tail. Jade grabbed tightly as Stoker closed his eyes, trying to ignore that Jade was developing into a young woman. He overcompensated by going high speed back to camp.

  
          “Jade! Where the fuck were you?” Jack hollered out while approaching the bike. Jade took off her helmet as Jack walked over to Stoker, punching him in the face.  
          “Whoa, whoa papa, I just found her…”. Stoker’s hands were raised up as he chuckled. Jack knew him too well but this time he couldn’t blame him.  
          “Really? Why do I not trust you?” Jack walked to Jade.  
          “Oh common dad. Seriously?” Jade punched him on the shoulder and walked away.  
          “Jade… we gotta leave soon. Something came up and we need to be off planet by tomorrow. Pack up and say your goodbyes.” Jack could tell his daughter was holding back her anger.  
          “Yeah, figured. Can’t let things get too relaxed huh?” Jade kept her back to him.  
          “It’s not that… we…”. Jack couldn’t finish.  
          “Yeah… whatever… I’ll be there.” Stoker watched Jack roll his eyes in defeat and storm off. Jade stayed still until Stoker saw her shoulders tremble. Shit, she was crying. Stoker held her from behind and Jade turned to bury her face against his chest. “Oh Stoker…”.  
          “Yeah…”. Stoker’s heart broke for her. Not good timing, Jack.

  
          Jade rushed into the barracks with a duffel bag and started shoving clothing and various items into it. She was angry with her dad, this was not a time for her to leave! She wanted more time with Throttle but knew there was no reasoning with her dad. Throttle walked in and sat on the bed. His emotions reached her and she knew he had just been told.  
          “You just got here…”. Throttle sighed and reached out to hold Jade’s hand. She entwined her fingers with him and sat next to him on the bunk.  
          “Yup. That’s my dad for you. Things start to go as planned and he bugs out. Here…”. Jade took out a small communications device and placed it in Throttle’s other hand. “I made these. Long range communication devices with some of the AI tech from Roland. We designed it together actually. They can pick up signals even super close to black holes. Call me. Anytime, any day, for any reason. I’ll do the same. I miss talking to you, seeing you, but this will work for now. It’s not like I’ll never see you again…”. Throttle looks the device over and gives Jade a kiss on the cheek.  
          “We’ll find each other again. I know it.” Throttle thought about the promise they made and knew the goddess would bring Jade back to him, safe. “Just wish there was more time…”  
          “Yeah. So Carbine…”  
          “Carbine…”  
          “She’s… um… cool…?” Jade struggled.  
          “Yeah… for a mouse…”. Throttle struggled too. Both sat in discomfort for a while until Jade broke the silence.  
          “So, you promise to call me? No matter what. I’m serious or I will bug your ass until you do!”  
          “Language! Your mouth is getting worse the longer you’re around Stoker…”  
          “Yup. Can’t believe yours isn’t.”  
          “Mom raised me better then that…”. Throttle sat up taller.  
          “Oh… big mouse guy can’t talk like this in front of a young girl right???” Jade teased as he slouched a bit.  
          “Um… something like that. A guy shouldn’t be talking like that out of respect for a lady.”  
          “Oh, so I’m a lady?” Her eyebrows lifted with the tease. Throttle turned red.  
          “No… not like that…”  
          “Oh, so I’m not a lady then…”  
          “No, not that either…”. Throttle was getting uncomfortable.  
          “So, what AM I?” Jade leaned forward. Throttle threw her for a loop. He leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on her lips then stood up, walking away.  
          “See you outside babe.” Throttle saluted her as he walked out, chuckling. Jade’s heart about stopped. How could this one mouse affect her so much?  
           Jade finished packing up her bag and walked out, seeing the end of an argument between Jack and Stoker. She sighed, knowing that more then likely this was Stoker’s fault. Her dad took a swing at him but Stoker sidestepped and pushed him onto the ground. Jade walked slowly up and acknowledged Stoker. He nodded and blew her a kiss that she pretended to bat away. Jack got up spewing curses at Stoker, accusing him of all sorts of wrong doing when Stoker had enough. One punch and Jack was on the ground for good. Stoker stepped over him and offered his arm to Jade who took it. They walked away from the scene as Jack’s crew came in to get him awake. Stoker didn’t say a word to Jade while he walked her to a bunker near their shuttle. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that the fight was about her. Jack saw his daughter starting to flourish and get comfortable but the egotistical selfish side took over and wanted her gone. There was no way Jack would leave her even though Stoker made a good case. So instead of listening to reason and letting her go, Jack blamed Stoker and started a fight.  
          “You alright Stoker?” Jade asked when they went inside.  
          “Yeah… pride hurt, that’s it. Listen, I don’t know where you guys are heading off to. I worry now. You’ve become a pain in my ass and I might miss you…”.  
          “Wow that’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever gotten…”  
          “You’re welcome. Just keep in touch girl.”  
          “I designed a com device and gave it to Throttle. If you ever need to know, ask him. I’ll be alright.” Jade gave him a hug and Stoker wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent. He could feel that she was scared to leave. Afraid of the budding relationship between Throttle and Carbine; afraid that she would be forgotten; afraid that there would be no one around when she returned and that her home would be forever lost to her. They were common fears, Stoker knew time would address these concerns one way or another. He was proud though, that being able to defend herself was not in those worries.  
          “You remember what I taught you.”  
          “I’ll be practicing. Promise. I’m not going to forget.” Jade smiled as Stoker held her face in his hands. He searched her eyes, trying to find something to say that would help her feel better. Then he decided to be the helpless flirt he always was when uncomfortable.  
          “Don’t grow up too fast babe… Don’t want you to get other ideas and run off with some jerk. Remember, you’re mine…”  
          “Oh…”. Jade laughed. “You claimed me? When did this happen?”  
          “You have no idea… but I think you sealed the deal when you kissed me. Those nice soft lips on mine… can’t forget a kiss like that… I mean, it will be a challenge that I’ll more then ‘rise’ to…” He made sure to air quote the rise to add to the hilarity. Jade blushed a deep red as she turned to leave. Stoker didn’t think he would get that reaction and found that he really loved it. “What’s wrong? Was it something I said?”  
          “Bye!” Jade walked out but before she exited, she flipped him the bird as he cracked up laughing.


	3. Dating and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something bad happens to Jade...

  
          Three years flew by as Jade found herself looking forward to every communication from Throttle. They spoke daily about anything and everything. Throttle would always tell her about his training, missions and the new people in his life. Jade had noticed that Carbine was becoming a regular fixture and they even had a conversation last year about him finally asking her out on a date. Jade had given up on the idea that her and Throttle could ever truly be together. He needed a Martian like himself; someone that could share his life on a daily basis. Throttle felt bad at first, worried about how Jade was going to take the news. It’s not that Throttle was replacing how he felt for Jade… he remembered his promise but things became more difficult as they got older. His focus became ending the war and starting a family to make sure his race survived. He understood what was needed of him and felt the pressure of that daily. Along with the new addition of his girlfriend, Jade also got to know some of the other members in his squad; Modo and Vinny. Modo sounded like a well grounded mouse that had a knack for calming down Throttle’s temper when things got too much. Vinny sounded like a trouble maker; it was no surprise to find out that Modo and Throttle had trouble getting along with him when they first met. Vinny sounded like a fun guy to be around to Jade. When Throttle described them to her, he used descriptives such as ‘Modo is tall with grey fur and Vinny is a bit shorter then him with white fur’. As they continued to talk, Jade learned that all three had developed muscles and Modo was by far the strongest of the group. Jade also learned that when she kept asking about Modo, Throttle became short tempered and would redirect their conversations. She had her fun with this one.  
          Throttle found his days filled with missions for the freedom fighters, running trainings for the new recruits and learning how to work as a group with Modo and Vinny. The latter gave him a headache for a while until Jade gave him some great team building exercises. As they grew to trust each other, they learned that there were a lot of commonalities; both Vinny and Throttle had lost their clan in the wars and Modo had half his clan gone. All three loved that Modo’s mom was still alive and would often find themselves hanging out with her when they had the chance. His mother was amazing and adopted them as clan immediately. Throttle knew that Jade would love her. There was a continuing problem that he had to face though. Carbine did not like Jade and let him know early on that she didn’t like the idea of him talking to her all the time. Since Throttle didn’t actually understand why, he decided to keep in contact but not let Carbine know. Stoker told him that this would blow up in his face one day, but Throttle didn’t care. He hated the day he had to tell Jade, but loved that she still supported him and listened when there were problems, offering him help to stay connected to Carbine. He hated keeping this from his bros too, but did it anyway for selfish reasons.  
          Stoker found himself more and more busy trying to put out the fires caused by the inadequacy of the Martian military. Throttle was well trained now and could take over the day to day missions while Stoker could focus on the smaller details. He asked every so often how Jade was and made sure that Throttle knew to come to him first if there was trouble. Many times Stoker wished he could talk to Jade, but knew that this was not a line he should cross. Jack already thought bad things about his relationship with Jade so he didn’t want to cause any fireworks there. But damn, if he didn’t miss that girl’s wit.  
          After Jade learned that Throttle was officially dating Carbine, she felt down in the dumps for a while. The crew all tried to make her feel better, telling her that no other woman could compare to what her and Throttle have… but she knew a Martian would always be better then her. After a year the crew’s words changed; get yourself out there and start dating. Jade considered this, but found no one even remotely interesting. She was a little too intellectual for the guys on the ship that were around her age. One day, however a new crew was hired to help out with a requisition mission. There was a guy, Tom, that was a couple years older then her that everyone wanted her to get with. He was funny and got along with the rest of the crew. Even her dad was telling her that this would be a good thing for her. So, reluctantly she decided to give it a try.  
          Jade went out on five dates with Tom; to the movies, to a nice dinner, to a dive bar with great music and out for a ride among the stars. Tom was relatable and nice and listened and blah. Jade found herself bored and not connecting. There was also something different about him that set her at unease. She ignored it, due to him being able to block himself from her abilities. Jade would catch some of his emotions, which seemed strange from what he was talking about, but passed them off as something else he must have been worried about. At the last date, Jade decided to let him know that this was just not working out for her. He had kissed her during the last date, but it was horrible; all tongue and forceful and uncomfortable. No warm and fuzzy feeling at all. This was the deciding factor, she had to end it.  
          Tom brought Jade to a nice place to eat outside. After the dinner he took her for a walk among the flowers and tall trees of this particular planet. Jade seemed to be out of it, always on the verge of saying something but deciding at last minute not to speak. Tom thought this was awkward since he could barely get her to shut up for those other dates; Jade barely knew anything about him. Tom had decided that tonight had to be the night things would happen. There had already been five dates now; she had to put out, according to his code. No way she was going to deny him; no girl ever denied him. Jade was just his type too; daddy issues and unstable. Jade would more then likely be submissive and follow his lead, doing anything he asked if she thought it would make her dad angry. He had seen her type many times before. The guys in his crew were right; she would be a good score. Things didn’t quite work out that way though.  
          “Tom,” Jade started out “I have to talk to you about something. You’re a great guy and everything, but I’m just not feeling like there is anything between us.” Tom stood there outraged. She was breaking up with him. WITH HIM!  
          “Really…” Tom said with a detached voice. Things had to be this way then…  
          “I’m sorry… I know you’ve invested time with me…”  
          “No.”Jade was taken aback by his tone.  
          “No what?”  
          “No. Just no. You don’t get to decide these things.” Tom circled around her, watching her become more uncomfortable.  
          “Get away from me Tom…”. Jade was starting to feel emotions that were possessive, angry and predatory. She decided to get out of there fast. Tom was on her faster then she thought and swung her around to backhand her across the face. Jade was knocked out.  
          Events did not go so well for Jade. It was a blessing in disguise that Jade was knocked out for most of the events and if she did gain consciousness, she was choked back to black. Tom took his time with this one. He hated the fight, better the girl was out cold. He had his knife out as well, cutting lines into her body, getting high off the sight of blood and the fact that she would always carry his marks on her. He may have choked her a bit longer then needed to at the end… she wasn’t coming to. Oh well, he decided. Tom got off, washed himself and kicked her ass out of the air and to the side. He chuckled darkly and went to the next room to watch vids. If she came to, he would have to give her the talk to scare the crap out of her. Don’t need her telling daddy.  
          Jade came to in a fog, fighting off the growing darkness and the red running into her eyes. Her throat hurt and her body was too sore. Realization hit her as she heard Tom’s laughter at the vid he was watching in the next room. A shiver passed through her. She knew she had to get out of there now. Fear and adrenaline hit her hard as her survival instincts kicked in, giving her the strength to get up, find a blanket to wrap herself in, as her clothes were torn, and slip out the side door. Jade didn’t remember the walk back to the ship; had no idea how she found it. She remembered seeing her father, waiting and worried. He had rushed up to her, demanding to know what happened. His first mate filled in the words Jade couldn’t say. Jack’s eyes demanded vengeance and he grabbed his first mate and took off. Jade was left alone again. She numbly went inside and found a small space to crawl into. After settling down, she felt a poke at her side; the com device Throttle had as well. How was it still with her? She pressed the button.  
          “Hey Jade, its Stoker… Throttle’s out on a reconnaissance mission and left this with me. What’s up?”  
          “Sto…” Jade could barely get the words out. Her throat hurt so much. “Stoke?”  
          “Baby… what’s wrong? What happened?” Stoker’s heart dropped.  
          “Need… you… plea….se…”. She was finished talking for now.  
          “I’m right there. Leaving Mars now. I know how to track you down and I’m coming.” The com went silent as Jade closed her eyes.

          Stoker ran to the nearest fighter and took off, the pilot cursing him from the ground. A long time ago, Stoker installed a tracking unit to Jack’s ship. He was grateful now. Stoker flew as fast as the ship would take but he was still a day or two away. He tried to hail Jack but found no answer. Something bad happened… he knew it.  
  
          Two days it took for Stoker to travel to Jack’s ship. Once aboard, he stormed down the halls asking where Jade was and got only confusion from the crew. He gave up asking for Jade and demanded to see Jack. Again, confusion until one member pointed him out. Stoker approached carefully, watching as Jack discussed something with another crew guy. He didn’t seem worried but Stoker knew something was up.  
          “Jack! Where is Jade?” Jack slowly turned to face Stoker, a surprised look on his face.  
          “Stoker! What’s wrong?”  
          “Where. The. Fuck. Is. Jade???”  
          “Listen Stoker, there was an incident but I took care of it. Jade is probably resting.”  
          “I’ve been traveling since the moment she contacted me three fucking days ago!!! Have you not checked up on her?” Stoker was near rage.  
          “She’s probably fine…”. This was the wrong answer for Stoker as he punched Jack and took off, clicking his scanner to find her genetic signature. He found her blip towards the bottom of the ship, intermixed with the cooling tubes. Stoker ran at full speed.  
          “Jade?” Stoker yelled when he got close. He could hear a muffled sound and dodged coolant pipes to get closer. Stoker couldn’t get past the small patchwork of tubes that was in front of Jade. He called out her name again and saw dark green eyes surrounded by bruises and dried blood. More bruises covered her throat.  
          “Sto… ker?” Jade’s voice was rough and sounded dry. Stoker took out a water canteen and snaked it through the tubes using his tail. Jade grabbed a hold of it and drank it down, grabbing onto his tail before it could move away. With the touch, Stoker got a full story. Inwardly he screamed. Jade was raped; Unconscious for the entirety, waking up to bits and pieces but aware of what happened. Stoker’s heart broke.  
          “Hey baby… I’m here. I’m right here. No need to worry.”  
          “That… was… fast…”. Jade’s voice was coming back after the water.  
          “It took three days honey. You’ve been down here the whole time, I take it?”  
          “Three? Yeah…”. She held on tight to his tail, so he wrapped it around her wrist.  
          “I need you to get out of there honey. Come to me. Follow my tail on back.” He saw Jade nod and start to move through the small spaces. She used his tail to guide her way out of the maze and into Stoker’s arms. Stoker held on tight as a massive shiver gave way to a deluge of tears and sobs. He sat on the ground, rocking Jade and singing that old Martian lullaby he sang when she was first born. Stoker couldn’t believe what had happened; Jack more concerned about revenge then the welfare of his own daughter. He couldn’t believe it.  
           “Stoker?” Jade had calmed down now and had been quiet for a while. “I need… a… bath please…”. Stoker looked down and saw the dried blood along her skin and the blanket. He picked her up and walked her to her room.  
          Stoker took his time talking to Jade while he peeled off the ripped clothing and unwrapped her from the death grip she had on her blanket. Jade’s back was covered with long cuts. Bruises covered her bottom and lower legs. Stoker suspected the asshole took her from behind, cutting her up while he kept a good grip on her. He took a deep breath to calm himself; Jade did not need this from him. Stoker decided to run a bath, knowing that the pelting of the shower would cause more pain. He helped her into the tub and spent a lot of time delicately washing off the blood and cleaning the wounds. As Jade opened her legs to change her sitting position, Stoker hissed inward as he saw the massive bruising. She didn’t ask him what was wrong or talk at all, but sat there in silence as he made sure every trace of this monster was cleaned off. After the bath, he wrapped her up in a soft blanket and transitioned her to the bed.  
          “Do you want me to lay with you?” Stoker decided to ask instead of setting her off by assuming she wanted another guy that close to her.  
          “Yes. Hold me please.”  
          “Anything you need.” Stoker laid behind her as she grabbed a hold of his arms. He felt a slight tremor and knew she was crying again. Her thoughts were chaotic. He could sense them more now, being skin to skin. She was trying desperately to piece together what happened. Jade could remember being hit and falling. Then she would wake up to shadows, blurs and pain. Red would cloud her vision as her throat would start to hurt. Blackness would swallow her and then the whole cycle would repeat. The last time, she could barely swallow but there was no sounds or pain. She remembered seeing into the next room where he was; watching vids and laughing. Jade had crawled out into the road somehow. It was raining. Then she saw her dad and his first mate. She felt their anger and then they were gone. Alone, Jade remembered wondering through the ship wanting a place where no one could reach her. Once settled, a pain in her back reminded her that the communicator was back there. Jade had hoped Throttle wouldn’t answer; he wouldn’t understand and she was afraid he would just act like her dad and only be out for revenge. Jade wanted to get Stoker. That one single though stuck in Stoker’s mind. She searched him out.  
          “Stoker? Is this… am I… at… fault?” Jade whispered as Stoker’s heart dropped.  
          “No. Never. This will never be your fault. Doesn’t matter if you had warning signs that you ignored. Doesn’t matter if you froze and couldn’t move. There is NO reason in this universe where what was done to you could EVER be considered your fault.” Stoker wanted to yell this out but kept his voice calm and even. He knew Jade was in a fragile place right now.  
          “Ok. Reading my mind?”  
          “Yeah, a bit.”  
          “Good… Thank you for coming. I… I needed… you…”. Jade turned around to bury her face into his chest. For a long time they remained like that; resting in each other’s arms. Stoker noticed after a time that her breathing had slowed and her mind had calmed. She was asleep and it was time to get some answers.  
          Stoker took out his com device and started researching on recent crimes in the area. Surprisingly there was an unsolved murder of a young man not that far from the ship. He appeared to be tortured before having his throat slit. Stoker knew this had to be the monster. Jack’s methods of dealing with pieces of filth were recognizable to him. Stoker couldn’t blame him for how he reacted, but at the same time, he should have made sure that his daughter was safe first. Again, Jack reacted without thinking about Jade. He decided to message Jack to find out what he knew. The conversation was short and to the point with Stoker throwing the device against the wall at the end. Jack did not know that Jade had hidden herself deep within the ship. He did not know that she hadn’t eaten. He didn’t know she was raped. That’s when Stoker threw the device. Jack had thought Jade got beaten up. Just beaten up.  
          Jade slept a good hour until her first nightmare woke her. Stoker talked her through it, assuring her that she was safe and that he wouldn’t leave her. Jade fell back asleep until the next nightmare struck. It was touch and go all night; Stoker made sure that she tried to sleep after each awakening. At one part during the night, Jade refused to go back to sleep and Stoker spent the time redressing her wounds and talking about the training going on back on Mars. Jade was able to interact with him, chuckling at first but wincing in pain from her bruised throat. Stoker knew his medical expertise was coming to an end and encouraged her to visit a real med clinic when she felt up to it. The next time Jade fell asleep it was on her own. Stoker paced around the room and decided to block her door from anyone (Jack) coming in. Her internal com unit went off and Stoker grabbed it, answering the thing in the bathroom area.  
          “What?”  
          “Stoker, let me in.” Jack was angry.  
          “No. Why do you care now? Why not before? Let me guess… it was because you thought she was just beat up not raped.” Stoker hissed out.  
          “Fuck you Stoker! I saw my baby girl was hurt badly and knew I needed to deal with it.”  
          “You could have seen to her first and THEN dealt with it. But no. You choose poorly again.”  
          “Stoker… you… always you challenge me in raising my own daughter! She is not your kid!!!”  
          “Thank the goddess…” Stoker said under his breath. The goddess would have killed him if she knew the thoughts Jade provoked at times. “I have never viewed her as such Jack.”  
          “Then what claim do you have?”  
          “I feel responsible for her! I was there when she needed me! I am always fucking there when she needs me!”  
          “And how do you know when she needs you huh?” Jack started to accuse Stoker of something that was a hot point between them for years now. Jack didn’t like how protective Stoker was over Jade. He swore there was more to what the mouse felt. Jack knew the stories from the guys… Stoker was a player among women.  
          “Oh, don’t start that now. Jade used the com unit she gave Throttle. She was probably calling him.” Stoker lied.  
          “Why did you have it then?”  
          “Because…” Stoker sighed, feeling tired. “Throttle is out on a reconnaissance mission and can not be bothered. He gave it to me so I could let Jade know next time she used it. I just happened to have it on me when the call came through. She sounded like hell… barely talked. I knew something was wrong so I left and came to your ship.”  
          “Oh.” That was all Jack could say. It all made sense to him now. Jade tried to call Throttle. Maybe Stoker wasn’t the mouse the guys tried to make him out to be. “Thanks…”  
          “What?” Stoker was surprised to hear this.  
          “Thank you. I… I dropped the ball majorly. I… fuck… I should never have left her alone… and to just not check in… fuck…”. Stoker could practically hear Jack’s mental break down. Stoker rubbed the bridge of his muzzle and sighed.  
          “Don’t worry about it now Jack. She’s fine now. I’ll stay here until she forces me away. I’ve… I’ve been through this before… with a friend. I know how to help. Shit, I’ll even take her to him if it helps. Thankfully she doesn’t remember much. I think the asshole had her knocked out for the most part. She just remembers the pain.” Stoker could hear Jack crying. “Jack?”  
          “Yeah… my poor baby girl…”  
          “Ok… you keep that shit to yourself old man. She does not need this from you. Just stay the fuck away until you get your shit together alright? She needs to be heard and not victimized. She survived this shit. She will be stronger from it. You treat her like some poor little child or turn into a possessive freak and she will get worse. So… leave me to it this once. Just trust me. Ok?”  
          “Fine. I’ll trust you. But… just… gods, does she hate me?” Jack sounded defeated already, which made Stoker mad all over again.  
          “Find out later.” Stoker hung up on him and destroyed the com unit. He hated when Jack pulled this shit. Stoker only had enough patience for dealing with one crisis at a time and Jade was worse off the Jack. Stoker went back into the room to see Jade sitting up in bed, staring at him.  
          “Heard it all…”. Jade gave a weak smile as Stoker cursed.  
          “Sorry.”  
          “Naw, don’t… be. Don’t… blame… you…”. Jade’s voice was returning but he could tell that it still hurt for her to talk.  
          “Whatever…” Stoker waived it all off. “Get your ass back under the covers and back to sleep. When you wake up I’ll have a full spread of food. You are going to eat it all… then we will steal a fighter from your dad and get the fuck out of here. I have some people you need to see.” Jade smiled in return and laid back down. Stoker laid behind her until she drifted off, then went to get the food.


	4. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade is learning how to deal...

  
          The person Stoker took Jade to was an old military friend of his, Rebel. Rebel was a damn good fighter with a knack for stealth. The other guys in training didn’t like that he got all the ‘fun’ assignments and made it a point to let him know. When Stoker had joined the military with Rebel, the war had not yet started so there was only missions dealing with the Sand Raiders who collected and sold people like tools. Rebel would be tasked with going ahead to snoop around, locating bases and getting info that would help the ground troops. He was never really around when the major fight broke out, and the rest of the team did not appreciate that. So, the team had decided to get Rebel to quit. Stoker heard them planning pranks; hazings to try and make it so bad for Rebel that he would leave on his own. Stoker tried to warn him, but the stubborn mouse stayed anyway. The finial hazing did him in though. The team took things too far…. Rebel was out for the count and left Mars after his recovery. Stoker had found out through the internal investigation that Rebel was essentially raped with a foreign object. The next time Stoker ran into him, Rebel was out on an asteroid singing before crowds that worshiped him. He was a real rock star with peculiarities that others attributed to him being eccentric; Stoker knew better.  
          As the fighter came to a halt in the posh hangar, its bay door slowly descending for its patrons, a tall golden red mouse ran out to embrace Stoker in a hug. Stoker laughed and embraced Rebel fully. Jade kept behind them, not wanting to get in the way of their reunion.   
          “Well what brings me the pleasure of seeing you, dirty old mouse?” Rebel winked at Jade as Stoker turned to face her.  
          “This little one here. Rebel, this is Jade. She has just survived a horrendous act of selfishness…”. Rebel nodded as Stoker talked. Jade had never heard this way of letting another know that someone had been raped.   
          “Oh my. Yes, yes… I recognize that look…”. Rebel walked up to Jade, circling around her at a distance and then stood beside Stoker.     “Jade, I was raped myself at age thirteen in a hazing from a jealous group of wanna be military mice. Turned out they were really just rats… on the inside… Stoker helped me out a lot but in the end I had to leave the planet. By the time he caught up to me, my life changed for the better. I never imagined that all of this could have happened.” Rebel spread his arms out and turned. Jade took in the surroundings finally. The hangar was painted in the finest colors, highly detailed filigree adorning the doors and stairs. She knew all the windows were blaster proof; that alone, costed a pretty credit. She was surrounded in luxury at its finest.  
          “It’s a bit much…” Jade muttered as Stoker barked out laughing. Rebel placed a hand over his heart with an utter look of shock then burst out laughing himself.  
          “Oh no… she’s like you Stoker!!!” Rebel walked up to Jade and held out his arm. “It is and this is done on purpose, dear. Please allow me to escort you to my main dressing area.” Jade took his arm and felt the emotions pouring off him. Rebel was a simple man, his thoughts were of happiness on seeing his old friend, pride in knowing that Stoker entrusted him with this sensitive issue, and a hidden lust for the mouse he knew would never reciprocate. Jade smiled, feeling safe with this friend of Stoker’s.  
          Rebel led the two up to his main dressing area which was rightly labeled. To call this area a room would have robbed it of its massive space. Jade could have fit her fighter and still have room for all its service equipment. Rebel left the two alone for a moment as he excused himself to change for his upcoming performance. Jade learned that in the next area was a full stage with enough seating to fit a couple thousand people. Rebel had become quite a star in this part of the galaxy.  
          “He’s really down to Mars when you get to know him…”. Stoker ran a hand down one of the nearby costumes and shook his head.           “Couldn’t tell though.”  
          “He feels like a simple guy really…”  
          “Able to get a good read on him?”  
          “Yeah… I like him.”  
          “Good, he’s going to walk you through his recovery path. Might not work for you, but at least you’ll have someone else to talk to.  You’re not alone. That’s the number one thing I want you to remember throughout all of this. Crappy as it is, there are others who survived as well. Learn from this and grow stronger. Rise above it. Don’t let it consume you.”  
           “Talking from experience?”  
           “Yeah… there were some rough patches before Rebel left. Some… issues…”. Stoker looked off, remembering things he couldn’t voice to Jade.   
           “He’ll tell me if he thinks it will help.” Jade walked over to Stoker as he gave her one of his cocky smiles.  
           “Probably. If I know one thing… it’s that Rebel loves to talk. Never really got to see him perform live though.”  
           “Why not?”  
           “Because, the guy up there on that stage is not Rebel to me. It’s a different person he created to help him get over what happened. I get that. We all put on masks… but when he’s away from the stage I get to see my friend.” Stoker looked up and saw Rebel descend the massive staircase dressed in black leather pants and nothing else. His black streaks of fur along his chest and back stood out against the reddish orange fur and Stoker noticed that the mouse now had several elaborate ear garnishes from cuffs to studs. “Yo Rebel… when did you get married?” Jade looked at Stoker, confused.  
          “No, silly mouse… these are just jewelry here… they mean nothing. Except, that they make me look amazing with the house light show during my performance.” Stoker shook his head as Rebel laughed. “Oh dear, Jade looks confused.”  
          “Jade…” Stoker points to the stud in his right ear, “this one represents my clan. Some mice get theirs taken away if their clan kicks them out. Others develop their own. As Martian Mice you grow up learning what each clan’s ring looks like. Some are studs, some hoops, some have a certain metal or stone, others may add embellishments. All depends on the age of the clan and how much money they have. Other rings mean other things, too much to go into right now. A ring in the first place on the left ear could mean a new marriage or joining. Sometimes one mouse will take on the clan ring of their mate, sometimes they create a new one for their new clan. All depends…”  
          “Wow… so complex.” Jade looked again at Stoker’s ears noticing two golden studs along his right ear. Knowing one was for his clan… what could the other be?  
          “Stop.” Stoker narrowed his eyes then winked. Jade blushed. Rebel carefully watched the interaction and then walked over to Jade.   
          “So girl, how old are you?”  
          “I’m… fifteen. Almost sixteen…”. Jade lowered her head. Rebel lifted it up with a single finger.  
          “Don’t be ashamed. You are older then I was. This is a better place to be mentally… not that any age will help you recover from this… but it’s better then a twelve year old mouse.”  
          “I can’t believe they let you join the military?”  
          “It was before the war, so I lied about my age. I was taller so I said sixteen and they believed me. I had no clan to claim me so the military was the closest thing I could get. Jealousy got me in the end… that and hidden desires… I’ve come to terms with that. Not my fault really… the main mouse that did it, Axel, he was in denial about his feelings.” Jade was in shock. Rebel was actually excusing the other mouse’s behavior.  
          “What the fuck? You’re making excuses? Seriously?” Jade was yelling as Rebel placed his hands on her shoulders.  
          “Girl, I had to. I was too young and the hate I was holding onto almost killed me. Once I fully understood the motives behind what was done, I was able to move on. I will never forget and I may never forgive, but I will move on. I’m not saying that I will force you to do the same. What happened to you is an act of pure selfishness.”  
          “Stoker told you?” Jade quieted down, the moment of rage passed.  
          “Yeah, I made him. I know that sometimes it is hard to verbalize the events. Not being conscious is a blessing and a curse though…”  
          “Yeah… my mind is creating nightmares of what happened. It makes things worse. I only remember pain and these sounds… horrible and twisted… but the pain is always there.”  
          “This must be tough. I have ways to help you get out the emotions you can’t seem to let go of or have control of.”  
          “Really?” Jade thought about all the times over the last week that she tried to figure out what she was feeling only to be consumed by her rapid travels between different states of being; anger, rage, sadness, depression, suicidal, manic, somber…. “I would like that. I feel like I have no control…”  
          “Control…”. Rebel sighed and shook his head. “This is something that screwed me over being so young. I became a control freak. Really bad. Explored things that maybe I shouldn’t have. Did things I’m not too proud of. Until I found my way out. Writing music is my way of dealing with all those issues. When I’m on stage, I’m a different person. I’m in charge and I can act any way that I choose. I can dominate and control the sexuality, I can tune emotions to a fine point as I illicit sadness from the crowd or anger or pure joy. Believe me, it’s a lot better then when I first started.” Jade watched him as he wondered around the room, touching certain articles of clothing or gazing at different pictures along the walls. Jade knew he must have traveled to a dark side of himself and didn’t like what he saw in the mirror one day.   
          “How… how can you… I mean… how can you even think about… sexuality after… after…”. Jade found a lump in her throat.  
          “Yeah… that came later. Since this was my first encounter my personal sense of sexuality was skewed. I took to pain and dominating others to do to them what was done to me. I grew to prefer men and saw only them as a release for my desire. I got off on causing pain. Now, remember all of this is done with the content of my lover. But one night, I looked down and realized that I was acting out what was done to me so I could regain control over this past situation.”  
          “Deep analysis…”. Stoker replied.  
          “Yeah… trust me, I didn’t come up with this on my own. Took years to figure this all out with the help of about ten different people over time.” Rebel sighed and looked back at Jade. “I would like to save you from this self destruction if I can. But yeah, sexuality should not be the first thing on your mind.”  
          “It is… kinda… like a worry… a fear that this… is normal or… that pain is normal…”. Jade choked out as Stoker approached her, pulling her into his arms.  
          “No honey. This is not normal. Pain should not be a part of something unless you want it to be. It takes two people who should be communicating their wants and needs. Not one person forcing another.” Stoker kissed the top of her head as she silently shed tears.   
         “Stoker’s right. I take it this was your first encounter as well?” Jade had nodded her head quickly, still holding onto Stoker. Rebel sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. A red light started to flash behind him. “That’s me. Follow me guys, I have a nice room up here that you can watch the entire show without having to be elbow to elbow with the crowd. Not sure if you’re like me Jade, but I didn’t like strange people evading my space for a long time.”  
          “I’ve always been like that… physical touch lets me sense the emotions of others…”.   
          “Fuck…”. Rebel stopped on the stairs to give himself a minute to process this. Stoker failed to mention this part. Jade could have been aware of that monster’s emotions throughout the whole ordeal. If she doesn’t remember… if her mind hid this from her… it was something that could resurface in the future. Rebel remembered to let Stoker know to watch out for this. “Sorry girl. Up here.”  
          The room to view the concert was decorated in deep reds and blacks with comfy chairs and a couch set up to a large viewing window that was directly above the stage. Front row balcony space. Jade jumped on the couch and patted the empty space next to her for Stoker to join. Rebel winked at him as he slowly joined Jade. Stoker really didn’t want to see him perform but knew that this was an important step in Jade’s recovery and knew he had to be there for her. Stoker just didn’t understand all the pomp and circumstance.   
          The concert started elaborately with massive fireworks and smoke and lights flashing throughout the room. Stoker rolled his eyes and he watched Jade. Her eyes were closed, listening to the music. Stoker followed her example and found the concert to be much more his taste. Rebel’s songs held deep meanings that Stoker understood; tales from his many experiences throughout his life, to joining the military, feeling lost, being proud, betrayal, pain, possessiveness, love, loss… all things Stoker understood. Rebel’s words struck both Stoker and Jade hard. By the end of the show, Jade was once again crying in Stoker’s arms. Stoker even found himself tearing up over one song. When Rebel returned, Jade jumped from the couch and ran towards him.  
          “Can I write a song? For you to sing?” Rebel chuckled at her.  
          “Nope. You write it and sing it Jade. Even if it’s just for me and Stoker or just for yourself. You need to sing it too. There is a release when you do… a sense of getting things off your chest. You need that.”  
          “Fine. I can do that!” Rebel motioned to the paper and writing tools and Jade took off, scribbling things along the pages. When Stoker walked over to check on what she had written, he noticed that she was writing in several different languages. Some words were in her native tongue, some in Martian, some in Venusian, and some he couldn’t identify. He chuckled and joined Rebel on the couch.   
          “She’s a keeper…”. Rebel sighed out.  
          “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
          “She’s a good girl. Someone you want around in your life for a long time…”  
          “Hmmm… thought you were only into guys now…”. Stoker grumbled out as Rebel burst into laughter.  
          “Ha! No, my friend… I wasn’t talking about that. But maybe… Jade is a rare breed. She is sensitive without losing herself. This is going to be a rough journey for her. I suggest you give her what she needs without question. She knows what she needs… she’s a lot more in tune with those inner feelings. An outlet would help her. Just… be what she needs Stoker.”  
          “Already promised her that. There are not many people I trust… she’s probably the only one I fully trust.”  
          “I see that. You’re different around her. More… normal?” Stoker punched Rebel as he leaned back laughing. “Ouch! You got stronger too…”  
          “Yeah… don’t joke. I’m in enough hot water with her dad as it is…”  
          “What? Why?”  
          “He thinks there is something ‘more’ to my relationship with her.” Stoker leaned back as well, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.  
          “Shit… seriously? You weren’t able to hide that?” Stoker sat up glaring at Rebel.  
          “Fuck you! There is nothing going on between us alright! If you knew that asshole of a father… if you knew the shit he pulled on her… you would… fuck you…”. Stoker stood up as Rebel raised his hands in defeat.  
          “Whoa… sensitive subject I see… what’s wrong with you? I know you see it. I know you well enough…”. Rebel watched Stoker as he came to a stop in front of the mouse, dropping his head.  
          “It’s not exactly like that…” Stoker whispered. “I… I was there when she was born. A young mouse. I told you I left my family because they wanted me betrothed?”  
          “Yeah… you hated that you were going to be brought to the birth of a mouse just to find out that it was for you to bond with her and make her your future wife…. Oh… shit…”  
          “Yeah, shit. Didn’t happened as they wanted it to. I guess I bonded with Jade. But it’s different. I don’t feel like she’s meant to be my mate… not like that… I’m protective and possessive and… I don’t know…”. Stoker fell down on the couch next to Rebel and sighed. Rebel rested an arm on his shoulder, understanding his pain.  
          “What do you feel? If she was a mouse…”  
          “Roshok. I feel like I’m her Roshok.” Both remained silent for some time. This term was not unknown to the mice but had not been used in a long time. A Roshok was a rarity in their culture; one that was usually bred from another Roshok. Knowing this meant that Stoker’s father was not the mouse he was led to believe. The only Roshok in his clan was his ‘father’s’ brother. This meant that his mother went against the explicit wishes of one of her husbands and had an affair with her Roshok. This was not unheard of, within a clan a matriarch was allowed her husbands, lovers and could take her Roshok as a lover but in his clan this was agreed upon not to be an option. Her husband and Roshok were blood brothers. Only the child of a Roshok can become a Roshok, a protector of the matriarch alone. If Stoker was truly one…   
          “Damn.” Rebel jumped when Jade ran into the room waving pieces of paper in front of the two on the couch. Her eyes were bright and a huge grin covered her face. Rebel saw just how beautiful she could become.  
          “I did it! My first song… or songs… depends.” Jade looked at the two with their somber faces and stopped. “Uh oh. What happened?”  
          “Nothing girl…” Rebel stood up and smiled at Jade. He took the papers from her hand and found all the words written in Martian. He smiled. “Rewrote it?”  
          “Yeah… The words flow better in basic… maybe I should change it to that…”  
          “No, no… this will be fine. Let’s go to the next room and try to find a tune…”. Rebel was in shock at how easily this came to her. She was a natural and from the look in Stoker’s eyes, he knew it would. Rebel again took pride knowing that Stoker thought so highly of him.


	5. Daddy Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade learns that there is yet another problem with her life.

          For the next couple of months, Jade spent time with Rebel learning the tricks of the trade; writing songs, performing in private with Rebel and diving into her darker thoughts. Stoker had to leave after her first week to return to Mars. He needed to get back to things and make sure that all the new intel he gathered from the outer rim was correct. Throttle had pressed for news about Jade, but Stoker said nothing except that she needed some time alone to find herself. What Stoker didn’t know was that Jade continued to contact Throttle, telling him that something bad did happen but she wasn’t ready to talk about it. He respected that and didn’t press. Jade found a lot of relief being able to write songs and sing them to Rebel. He grew to love her, teaching her how to mix music and compose beats. He was proud of her progress but whenever he pressed her to perform on stage, she always declined; Jade did not want the limelight like he did.  Rebel was also able to spend this time getting candid with her about her sexuality and how to get the answers she searched for. Learning from his own mistakes (several), he led her down the direction of vids and literature. Jade sought out more though, asking to talk with professionals in the business to understand the many aspects of sexuality from mindset, emotions, physical, and even spiritual. Jade did research on the views of her dad’s culture (which was nothing) and the Martian mouse culture as well; always asking appropriate questions and diving head first into the information. What Rebel did discover though, was that Jade was using this as a way to hide from her own thoughts and feelings. If he pressed about the men in her life and how she felt sexually, she would shut down and steer the conversation away from herself.  
          One thing Rebel discovered early on, was that he could never talk about Throttle in a relationship type of way. Jade grew up with him and kept in constant contact with him, but Rebel learned that the mouse had a mate on Mars and Jade would not allow herself to think of him in a sexual matter any longer. This worried Rebel because he saw the look on her face when she talked with him. When he pressed her, Jade disappeared that night, gone out onto the asteroid for three days before returning. Since he didn’t want Stoker angry with him, he stopped pressing in on Jade. The months turned into a year before Rebel got to meet the father in Jade’s life that Stoker had issues with. Jack was a very handsome man with short, curly blond hair and a deep tanned skin with ice blue eyes. Rebel struggled to find the resemblance between father and daughter. Not even his personality matched. Jade reacted accordingly when he saw him, rushing into his arms, so Rebel brushed it off.  
          “You must be Rebel. Jade has talked about you often these last couple of days. You’ve been taking good care of my little girl. Thank you.” Jack was all smiles, kissing Jade on the top of her head. Jade, however wasn’t taking to it… Rebel knew a large part of her innocence was gone now, but she still struggled on how to express this to her own father.  
          “Yes. You’re welcome. Believe me, it is my pleasure. You have a very gifted young lady on your hands. She is so intelligent…”  
          “My little girl definitely is…”. Rebel did not miss his emphasis on ‘little girl’.  
          “Um, yes. Well, would you like a quick tour?”  
          “No. We’ll be packing up and leaving soon.” Jade pushed out of her father’s arms and stood beside Rebel, her arms folded across her chest.  
          “No I won’t.”  
          “Yes, honey. We have things that we need to get done. I’ve allowed you to be gone for a year, now it is time to return.” Jade did not like how he said that he allowed her to be gone. The anger rose up.  
          “You allowed me? You ALLOWED me? Seriously dad? You didn’t have a choice. Admit it, you would have come earlier if it wasn’t for Stoker keeping this place a secret! He told me. I wanted to let you know I was alright and I knew you would be able to trace the signal… but you still did it didn’t you? You still came running for me because you hated leaving me alone didn’t you!”  
          “Honey, it was hell leaving you like that…”  
          “Don’t lie. You were never good at it. You’ve left me for longer when you ran off to deal with Maisy…”. Jade watched Jack’s eyes dart downward. Maisy had called. “She called you recently didn’t she? That’s why you’re here. Not for me…”. One part of her was happy she was wrong about her father being a bit too possessive over his ‘little girl’ but a larger part was deeply upset. She felt betrayed. The though of a possessive father would have been better then the fact that he was selfish. He didn’t want to go out helping Maisy if he didn’t know that Jade was on his ship waiting. Jade felt herself go numb. The old anger just wasn’t there anymore. She felt tired and beaten. Not even getting raped would bring his attention fully to her…  
          “Um, Jack… who is Maisy?” Rebel asked, taking over the conversation as he saw Jade shut down. He hadn’t seen her like this before. This was worrying him greatly and her own father hadn’t yet noticed.  
          “Maisy is my daughter from another woman. She asks for my help every now and again. Since I wasn’t there for her growing up, I make it a point to be now.” Jack refused to look at Jade while he was talking. Rebel thought this was odd. There was an awkward pause before Jack spoke again. “I prefer to take Jade with me, so I know where she is when I’m out.” Still nothing from Jade.  
          “Ok. I can understand that… to a point… but Jade is safe here. Why can’t she just remain with me? You will know where she is and that she is safe. Jade is a young woman now and Stoker has taught her very well…”  
          “Yeah, not well enough…” Jack replied under his breath as Rebel’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Jade turned on her heal and stormed out of the room, tears forming in her eyes. Rebel was pissed.  
          “What the fuck did you just say???” He stared at Jack, hoping he didn’t mean what it sounded like. “You can’t possibly blame Stoker?!?”  
          “Why not?” Jack’s face was serious. Rebel let him have it.  
          “You pompous asshole! You think because Stoker taught her self defense and survival skills that this would have been enough to get her out of the situation she was forced into? You think that he failed you? What an arrogant thought… with this logic you might as well blame Jade too!” Jack punched Rebel, who landed on the ground with a screaming Jack over him.  
          “You fucker! How dare you say such things!? I would NEVER blame my own daughter for what happened to her! If anything it IS Stoker’s fault. He didn’t prepare her for this! He didn’t watch her like he promised he always would! Years he tried to convince me that his relationship with Jade was just to protect her and he failed at that! You think I brought this on? You think I wanted this to happen? You think any father would want this of his little girl? Her first time is suppose to be with someone she loves… someone who will treat her with care… not some freak of a man who only wanted to take what was not his to begin with!!!” Spittle flew from Jack’s mouth as he shouted out all this at Rebel. He now knew that this was all things Jack had buried since the rape. Feelings and emotions that he wouldn’t dare say aloud except in extremes. Rebel gave him the time, but he was not yet finished yelling at Jack as well.  
          “Fine. All that shit I can understand… but don’t you dare blame Stoker for even a second of this! He is the only mouse who understands what she went through and how to help!”  
          “What makes you say that?” Jack’s tone softened.  
          “I was raped when I was a kid. Stoker was there to help me through my darkness until I fled Mars. Stoker was the only one who gave a shit about me. He knew this was the best place to take Jade. He knew I would be able to help, that I could steer her in the right direction and not down a path of self destruction like I did.” Jack offered a hand to Rebel and he took it.  
          “Sorry… I… you’re right. I blame myself and Stoker and… it’s just that I pressed for Jade to date… she was so torn when Throttle got together with Carbine… I though dating would show her that there are others out there… but… but… I was wrong. She learned the wrong lesson…”. Jack closed his eyes as Rebel sighed. Was this man always hot and cold like this?  
          “Yeah, emotions suck. Get over it. If you need to talk to someone then go talk to someone. I’m going to make the executive decision here and tell you that Jade is NOT going with you. She will remain here under my care until you are done with your mission. This is not debatable. No saying goodbye either. What you said in front of her was inexcusable. YOU should have realized this after you said it, had you even looked at Jade. But whatever. Leave now and come back when you’re done and then we will see what Jade wants to do then.” Rebel turned his back on Jack and walked out the room, signaling to his security team to escort the father off this asteroid. Rebel walked down the many halls of his complex until he heard Jade singing out words to a new song; her voice filled with anger.  
          (Lyrics from K.Flay’s song, Get it Right)  
          “I wanna be the best, I wanna wake up feeling like I fucking slept. I wanna prove you wrong, that my story isn’t written. I wanna be something gold, I wanna be someone different. Wanna turn back the clock, tell my father to be stronger ‘cause he missed me growing up. And I want to tell the little girl in the corner of that room, don’t loose hope, just be brave, things get better soon…” Jade stopped suddenly, placed her head down on the table and cried. Rebel rushed in and sat beside her, learning long ago that he had to wait for her to make the initial physical contact.  
          “Are you alright? Those are amazing lyrics… I get what you mean now…” With no response, Rebel continued. “I kicked Jack out. Told him that you would be safe here and that had to be good enough for him.”  
          “You did? Thanks. I just… he never… do you think he blames me?” The room went cold for Rebel.  
          “No. Don’t think that. I pushed his buttons… he doesn’t blame you for a second…”  
          “But he blames Stoker…”  
          “Who cares? Stoker isn’t to blame either… honestly Jack blames himself but it is easier for him to blame Stoker. Let him for now. Stoker’s a big mouse and can hold his own…”  
          “Yeah…” Jade chuckles. “He always gets into fights with dad. I stopped asking what they were about. But… can I… go to Mars?”  
          “Why are you asking me?”  
          “Because you’re watching me?”  
          “No, I’m not. You are an adult Jade. No matter what your father thinks or says… it’s your choice.” Rebel kissed her on the cheek and left the room, knowing she would make the right decision.

  
          Jade was on her way to Mars when she received a call from her father. A part of her wasn’t going to answer, but curiosity got the better of her. Jack was supposed to be off saving Maisy now.  
          “Hey.”  
          “Hey Jade. I’m… sorry for my behavior. I’ve been spending the last couple of days thinking… You are growing into a very capable… young… lady and I haven’t been supporting that.”  
          “What’s wrong?” Jade found it hard to believe what she was hearing so she chose to believe something else was up. Jack would never apologize like this unless he needing something from her and knew she was going to say no.  
          “Nothing baby… really. It’s just that, I was wondering if you perhaps would be flying to Mars anytime soon…”. Yep, Jade thought, there it was. Basically ignore what he said before because the truth is coming.  
          “Why?”  
          “Well, I need help with repairs. I went to help Maisy, and something happened to the main capacitor. You were always the best at these type of repairs…” Jack chuckled.  
          “I am on my way to Mars, but you already knew that. I’ll fix it. Not going with you though.”  
          “That’s fine… that’s fine…” Jack was dividing his attention. “See you on Mars.”  
          He disconnected after that and Jade was left to sigh with frustration. Yep, ignore the apology because he didn’t mean it. Jade leaned back in her chair as she waited to arrive in the Milky Way Galaxy.


End file.
